1976 United States Senate election 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.
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 County results Williams: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in New Jersey |
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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
- "1976 Primary Election Results" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. 1976. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- 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.