1965 New Jersey gubernatorial election
The 1965 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1965. Incumbent Democrat Richard J. Hughes defeated Republican nominee Wayne Dumont with 57.39% of the vote. The gubernatorial elections from 1953 to 1965 are the last in New Jersey in which any party won more than two consecutive elections. This is the most recent time a Democrat was reelected Governor with a higher share of the vote than the previous election.
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 County results Hughes: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Dumont: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in New Jersey |
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Primary elections were held on June 1, 1965.[1] Hughes was easily re-elected over token opposition from William H. Clark, while Dumont won a narrow primary over fellow state senator Charles W. Sandman Jr. of Cape May County.
Bergen County voted Democratic for the first time since 1931, and since this election, the county has become a bellwether having voted for the winning candidate all but once since.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Richard J. Hughes, incumbent Governor
- William H. Clark, Newark Marxist activist and member of the Negro-Labor Vanguard
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Richard J. Hughes (incumbent) | 236,518 | 90.89% | |
| Democratic | William H. Clark | 23,722 | 9.12% | |
| Total votes | 260,240 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Wayne Dumont, State Senator from Warren County
- Charles W. Sandman, Jr., State Senator from Cape May County
- Harold P. Poeschel, Short Hills life insurance agent and perennial Conservative Party candidate[2][3]
Declined
- Nelson Stamler, State Senator from Union County[4] (endorsed Sandman)
Campaign
Senator Nelson Stamler ran an unannounced campaign for party support, citing opposition to court-mandated legislative redistricting and Dumont's proposal for a sales tax. After failing to gain endorsements, Stamler declined to run and instead endorsed Sandman.[4]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Wayne Dumont | 167,402 | 50.35% | |
| Republican | Charles W. Sandman Jr. | 154,491 | 46.47% | |
| Republican | Harold P. Poeschel | 10,576 | 3.18% | |
| Total votes | 332,469 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
- Wayne Dumont, State Senator from Warren County (Republican)
- Richard J. Hughes, incumbent Governor since 1962 (Democratic)
- Julius Levin, apartment manager (Socialist Labor)
- Robert Lee Schlachter (Conservative)
- Ruth F. Shiminsky (Socialist Workers)
- Christopher C. Vespucci (Veterans Choice)
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Richard J. Hughes (incumbent) | 1,279,568 | 57.39% |  7.02 | |
| Republican | Wayne Dumont | 915,996 | 41.08% |  7.66 | |
| Conservative | Robert Lee Schlachter | 20,753 | 0.93% | 0.73 | |
| Independent | Christopher C. Vespucci | 5,378 | 0.24% | N/A | |
| Socialist Labor | Julius Levin | 4,669 | 0.21% | 0.11 | |
| Socialist Workers | Ruth F. Shiminsky | 3,219 | 0.14% | 0.09 | |
| Majority | |||||
| Turnout | |||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
References
- "Candidates for the Office of Governor - State of New Jersey" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. 1965. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
- "Williams Is Given Edge on Shanley – Anti‐Goldwater Vote Seen Going to Jersey Senator". The New York Times. October 26, 1964. p. 34.
- Waggoner, Walter H. (May 30, 1965). "G.O.P. Fights Pace Jersey Primaries; 3,146,000 Are Eligible to Vote on Tuesday". The New York Times. p. 54.
- "Stamler Indicates Entry Into Jersey G.O.P. Primary". The New York Times. March 7, 1965. p. 58.
- "Votes Cast for the Office of Governor of the State of New Jersey" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. 1965. Retrieved August 24, 2015.