1976 United States Senate election in New Jersey
 | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
 County results Williams: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
.jpg)
| Elections in New Jersey |
|---|
 |
The 1976 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 2, 1976. Incumbent Democrat Harrison A. Williams defeated Republican nominee David A. Norcross with 60.66% of the vote.
Primary elections were held on June 8, 1976[1] and were uneventful. Williams easily staved off an anti-abortion campaign from attorney Stephen J. Foley. Norcross cleared a four-man field to win the Republican nomination in a landslide.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Stephen J. Foley, Deal attorney and anti-abortion activist[2]
- Harrison A. Williams, incumbent United States Senator
Campaign
Williams discounted Foley's campaign and referred to him as a single-issue candidate, though he admitted opposition to abortion was "an issue that deserves the most earnest, searching thought.”[2] Foley's campaign was managed by future U.S. Representative Chris Smith.[3]
Foley rejected the "single-issue" characterization, saying, “Pro‐life is not just antiabortion. It's anything that deals with the human equation, with human problems.”[2]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Harrison A. Williams (incumbent) | 378,553 | 85.12 | |
| Democratic | Stephen J. Foley | 66,178 | 14.88 | |
| Total votes | 444,731 | 100.00 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- David A. Norcross, former Executive director of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission[2]
- James E. Parker, retired sheets metal mechanic and Democratic candidate for U.S. House in 1958 and 1960[2]
- N. Leonard Smith, high school teacher, former member of the Clementon town council, and anti-abortion activist[2]
- Martin E. Wendelken, businessman and candidate for the U.S. House in 1972 and 1974[2]
Campaign
Norcross held the endorsement of the state party organization, though Martin Wendelken had the support of the Bergen County organization and led a slate of candidates supporting Ronald Reagan's presidential campaign. Wendelken ran a campaign calling for a reduction in the size and scope of government, saying the key issues were unemployment and inflation.[2]
James Parker ran a campaign calling for reduced utility rates. He said that he had switched parties in 1977 after Governor Brendan Byrne vetoed the Tocks Island dam.[2] Leonard Smith said that his campaign was "concerned about the killing of babies... I just can't believe that our country can solve its problems by killing babies.”[2]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | David F. Norcross | 196,457 | 68.34% | |
| Republican | Martin E. Wendelken | 45,472 | 15.82% | |
| Republican | James E. Parker | 27,672 | 9.63% | |
| Republican | N. Leonard Smith | 17,892 | 6.22% | |
| Total votes | 287,493 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Candidates
- Bernardo S. Doganiero, perennial candidate (Socialist Labor)
- David A. Norcross, former Executive director of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (Republican)
- Hannibal Cundari, Libertarian
- Leif O. Johnson, Labor
- Harrison A. Williams, Democratic
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Harrison A. Williams (incumbent) | 1,681,140 | 60.66% | ||
| Republican | David A. Norcross | 1,054,508 | 38.05% | ||
| Libertarian | Hannibal Cundari | 19,907 | 0.72% | ||
| Socialist Labor | Bernardo S. Doganiero | 9,185 | 0.33% | ||
| U.S. Labor | Leif O. Johnson | 6,650 | 0.24% | ||
| Majority | 626,635 | ||||
| Turnout | 2,771,387 | ||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
See also
References
- ^ a b c "1976 Primary Election Results" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. 1976. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Narvaez, Alfonso (3 Jun 1976). "6‐Man U. S. Senate Race Gets Hotter as Primary Day Nears". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 Mar 2022.
- ^ "Early on, Smith was dismissed as a fluke". New York Observer. 23 Dec 2009. Retrieved 23 Mar 2022.
- ^ "1976 General Election Results" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. 1976. Retrieved March 18, 2019.