United States Senate election in New Jersey, 2000

United States Senate election in New Jersey, 2000

November 7, 2000

Nominee Jon Corzine Bob Franks Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,511,237 1,420,267 Percentage 50.1% 47.1%

County results

U.S. senator before election Frank Lautenberg Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Jon Corzine Democratic

The 2000 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg decided to retire, instead of seeking a fourth term. Democrat nominee, former CEO of Goldman Sachs Jon Corzine defeated Republican nominee, U.S. Congressman Bob Franks, in a close election. In January 2006, Corzine resigned from the Senate to become Governor of New Jersey.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Jon Corzine, former CEO of Goldman Sachs
• Jim Florio, former Governor

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	James Florio	Jon Corzine	Undecided
Quinnipiac	February 16–21, 2000	374 RV	± 5.1%	57%	22%	21%
Quinnipiac	March 21–27, 2000	400 RV	± 4.9%	50%	26%	24%
Quinnipiac	May 1–8, 2000	347 RV	± 5.3%	33%	48%	19%
Quinnipiac	May 17–23, 2000	371 LV	± 5.1%	30%	56%	14%

Campaign

Senator Frank R. Lautenberg first elected to the Senate in 1982 in an upset victory over Rep. Millicent Fenwick (R-Bergen), had always been an underdog in all three bids for Senate, He beat Pete Dawkins in 1988 by a 54%-46% margin and held back a challenge from Chuck Haytaian by a smaller margin of 50%-47% However, Popular Governor Christine Todd Whitman was expected to challenge Lautenberg and opinion polls showed Lautenberg losing by a large margin, He retired but later regreted his decision because Gov. Whitman and Former Governor Tom Kean both declined to run for the Senate. Lautenberg would be elected to the states other Senate Seat in 2002. Corzine spent $35 million of his fortunes into this primary election alone. when running against Jim Florio, who served as the 49th Governor of New Jersey from 1990 to 1994. Governor Florio was unpopular during his tenure in office, most notably he signed a $2.8 Billion tax increase in 1990, It costed his party control of state government for a decade and cost the Governor his re-election bid in 1993, Corzine running as an outsider, Mr. Corzine was endorsed by State Senator Raymond Zane (D-Gloucester), State Senator Wayne Bryant (D-Camden), State Senator John Adler (D-Camden), U.S Representative Bob Menendez (D-Hudson) and U.S Senator Bob Torricelli (D-NJ) Florio was endorsed by the State Party, Assemblyman Joe Doria (D-Hudson) and Senator John Lynch (D-Middlesex) Corzine defeated Florio in the primary and then defeated Bob Franks in the general election.

Results

2000 New Jersey U.S. Senate Democratic primary election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Jon Corzine	251,216	58.0
	Democratic	James Florio	182,212	42.0

Republican primary

Candidates

• William Gormley, State Senator
• Bob Franks, U.S. Representative
• Murray Sabrin, Libertarian Party nominee for Governor in 1997
• James Treffinger, Essex County Executive and former Mayor of Verona

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Steve Forbes	Murray Sabrin	Bob Franks	James Treffinger	William Gormley	Brian Kennedy	Undecided
Quinnipiac	February 16–21, 2000	307 RV	± 5.6%	33%	4%	8%	5%	10%	-	40%
Quinnipiac	March 21–27, 2000	348 RV	± 5.3%	-	5%	14%	7%	9%	6%	59%
Quinnipiac	May 1–8, 2000	311 RV	± 5.6%	-	5%	18%	8%	14%	-	55%

Results

2000 New Jersey U.S. Senate Republican primary election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Bob Franks	98,370	35.7
	Republican	William Gormley	94,010	34.1
	Republican	James W. Treffinger	48,674	17.7
	Republican	Murray Sabrin	34,629	12.6

General election

Candidates

Major

• Jon Corzine (Democratic), former CEO of Goldman Sachs
• Bob Franks (Republican), U.S. Representative

Minor

• Bruce Afran (Green)
• Dennis A. Breen (Independent)
• J.M. Carter (Trust In God)
• Pat DiNizio (Reform)
• Emerson Ellett (Libertarian)
• George Gostigian (God Bless NJ)
• Lorraine LaNeve (Conservative)
• Gregory Pason (Socialist)
• Nancy Rosenstock (Socialist Workers)

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Jon Corzine (D)	Bob Franks (R)	Undecided
Quinnipiac	June 20–26, 2000	1,004 RV	± 3.1%	46%	26%	28%
Quinnipiac	July 19–24, 2000	910 RV	± 3.3%	50%	30%	20%
Quinnipiac	August 18–22, 2000	802 RV	± 3.5%	43%	35%	22%
Quinnipiac	September 26–October 1, 2000	820 LV	± 3.4%	48%	34%	18%
The New York Times	October 12–15, 2000	LV	± 3%	45%	33%	22%
Quinnipiac	October 18–23, 2000	909 LV	± 3.3%	46%	41%	13%
Quinnipiac	October 24–30, 2000	793 LV	± 3.5%	47%	39%	14%
Quinnipiac	November 1–5, 2000	770 LV	± 3.4%	43%	45%	12%

Campaign

Franks, a moderate Republican, attacked Corzine for "trying to buy the election and of advocating big-government spending programs that the nation can ill afford." Corzine accused Franks of wanting to dismantle the Social Security system because he supported Governor George W. Bush's partial privatization plan.

During the campaign, Corzine refused to release his income tax return records. He claimed an interest in doing so, but he cited a confidentiality agreement with Goldman Sachs. Skeptics argued that he should have followed the example of his predecessor Robert Rubin, who converted his equity stake into debt upon leaving Goldman.

Corzine campaigned for state government programs including universal health care, universal gun registration, mandatory public preschool, and more taxpayer funding for college education. He pushed affirmative action and same-sex marriage. David Brooks considered Corzine so liberal that although his predecessor was also a Democrat, his election helped shift the Senate to the left.

During Corzine's campaign for the United States Senate, he made some controversial off-color statements. When introduced to a man with an Italian name who said he was in the construction business, Corzine quipped: “Oh, you make cement shoes!" according to Emanuel Alfano, chairman of the Italian-American One Voice Committee. Alfano also reported that when introduced to a lawyer named David Stein, Corzine said: "He's not Italian, is he? Oh, I guess he's your Jewish lawyer who is here to get the rest of you out of jail." Corzine denied mentioning religion, but did not deny the quip about Italians, claiming that some of his own ancestors were probably Italian, or maybe French.

Also in 2000, Corzine denied having paid off African-American ministers, when in fact the foundation controlled by him and his wife had paid one influential black church $25,000. Rev. Reginald T. Jackson, director of the Black Ministers Council, had campaigned against a form of racial profiling whereby police officers stop minority drivers and had gotten New Jersey state police superintendent, Carl A. Williams, fired. Corzine had donated to Jackson prior to getting what appears to be a reciprocal endorsement.

Franks generally trailed Corzine in the polls until the very last week, when he pulled even in a few polls. Corzine spent $63 million, while Franks spent only $6 million. Despite being heavily outspent, Franks lost by only three percentage points, doing better that year than Republican Governor George W. Bush in the presidential election, who obtained just 40% of the vote in the state.

Results

General election results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Jon Corzine	1,511,237	50.11
	Republican	Bob Franks	1,420,267	47.10
	Green	Bruce Afran	32,841	1.09
	Reform	Pat DiNizio	19,312	0.64
	Libertarian	Emerson Ellett	7,241	0.24
	Independent	Dennis A. Breen	6,061	0.20
	Trust in God	J.M. Carter	5,657	0.19
	Conservative	Lorraine LaNeve	3,836	0.13
	Socialist	Gregory Pason	3,365	0.11
	Socialist Workers	Nancy Rosenstock	3,309	0.11
	God Bless Jersey	George Gostigian	2,536	0.08
Majority			90,970	3.01
Turnout
	Democratic hold		Swing	{{{swing}}}