1963 New Jersey Senate election

1963 New Jersey Senate elections
← 1961 November 5, 1963 1965 →
11 of the 21 seats in the New Jersey State Senate
11 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader William Ozzard
Party Republican Democratic
Leader's seat Somerset
Seats before 11 10
Seats won 15 6
Seat change Increase 4 Decrease 4
Seats up 5 6
Races won 9 2
Senate President before election

William E. Ozzard
Republican

Elected Senate President

Charles Sandman
Republican

The 1963 New Jersey State Senate elections were held on November 5.

The elections took place midway through the first term of Governor Richard J. Hughes. Eleven of New Jersey's 21 counties elected Senators; Republicans gained four seats.

Incumbents not running for re-election

Democratic

Republican

All five Republican incumbents stood for re-election.

Summary of results by county

County Incumbent Party Elected Senator Party
Atlantic Frank S. Farley Rep No election
Bergen Pierce Deamer Rep No election
Burlington Henry S. Haines Dem Edwin B. Forsythe Rep
Camden Joseph W. Cowgill Dem Frederick J. Scholz Rep
Cape May Charles W. Sandman Rep Charles W. Sandman Rep
Cumberland Robert H. Weber Dem No election
Essex Donal C. Fox Dem C. Robert Sarcone Rep
Gloucester Thomas F. Connery Jr. Dem John E. Hunt Rep
Hudson William F. Kelly Jr. Dem No election
Hunterdon Raymond E. Bowkley Rep No election
Mercer Sido Ridolfi Dem No election
Middlesex John A. Lynch Dem John A. Lynch Dem
Monmouth Richard R. Stout Rep Richard R. Stout Rep
Morris Thomas J. Hillery Rep No election
Ocean W. Steelman Mathis Rep No election
Passaic Anthony J. Grossi Dem No election
Salem John A. Waddington Dem John A. Waddington Dem
Somerset William E. Ozzard Rep William E. Ozzard Rep
Sussex George B. Harper Rep No election
Union Nelson Stamler[a] Rep Nelson Stamler Rep
Warren Wayne Dumont Rep Wayne Dumont Rep
  1. ^ Stamler was elected to the seat in November 1962 following the death of Senator Robert C. Crane.

Close races

Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:

  1. Essex, 6.41% gain
  2. Gloucester, 8.07% gain
  3. Union, 9.22%
  4. Burlington, 9.71% gain

Seats where the margin of victory was 10% or greater; and the seat flipped party control:

  1. Camden, 10.27% gain

Burlington

Democratic primary

Candidates

Campaign

The campaign was bitter, with Hulse criticizing Haines's record in the Senate. Haines was aligned with Grover C. Richman Jr., the former Attorney General whom Governor Hughes had outmaneuvered for the 1961 Democratic nomination.[2]

Results

1963 Burlington Democratic Senate primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Edward J. Hulse 8,133 56.78%
Democratic Henry S. Haines (incumbent) 6,190 43.22%
Total votes 14,323 100.0%

Hulse and his four-man ticket won the primary by carrying the heavily Democratic towns of Burlington, Florence, Levittown, and Maple Shade. Haines was strongest in Bordentown and also received a large majority in Palmyra.[2]

Both Haines and Hulse lost their own home towns, Burlington and Edgewater Park, respectively.[2]

General election

Candidates

Results

1963 general election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Edwin B. Forsythe 35,847 54.63% Increase 8.76
Democratic Edward J. Hulse 29,476 44.92% Decrease 9.21
Independent John V. Mahalchik 157 0.24% N/A
Socialist Labor Bernardo S. Doganiero 135 0.21% N/A
Total votes 65,615 100.0%

Camden

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

1963 Camden Democratic Senate primary (partial results)[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Joseph W. Cowgill (incumbent) 15,181 84.25%
Democratic Joseph F. Carroll 2,837 15.75%
Total votes 18,018 100.0%

Cowgill won the city of Camden with a 5-1 margin.[4]

General election

Candidates

  • Joseph W. Cowgill, incumbent Senator (Democratic)[4]
  • Julius Levin (Socialist Labor)
  • Frederick J. Scholz, senior vice president of First Camden National Bank and Trust Co. (Republican)[4]

Results

1963 general election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Frederick J. Scholz 72,873 54.93% Increase 6.65
Democratic Joseph W. Cowgill (incumbent) 59,246 44.66% Decrease 7.06
Socialist Labor Julius Levin 535 0.40% N/A
Total votes 132,654 100.0%

Cape May

1963 general election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Charles W. Sandman (incumbent) 12,900 60.98% Decrease 0.40
Democratic Carlton E. Mason 7,025 33.21% Decrease 5.41
Independent Walter C. Wright 1,231 5.82% N/A
Total votes 21,156 100.0%

Essex

General election

Candidates

Results

1963 general election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican C. Robert Sarcone 125,836 50.72% Increase 5.49
Democratic Elmer Matthews 109,934 44.31% Decrease 6.80
Independent Democratic George C. Richardson 10,164 4.10% N/A
Conservative David E. Wilson 1,248 0.50% N/A
Independent Paul J. Wolek 551 0.22% N/A
Socialist Workers Murray Zuckoff 351 0.14% N/A
Total votes 248,084 100.0%

Gloucester

1963 general election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican John E. Hunt 27,562 54.00% Increase 4.77
Democratic Thomas F. Connery Jr. (incumbent) 23,443 45.93% Decrease 4.85
Socialist Labor David E. Wilson 38 0.07% N/A
Total votes 51,043 100.0%

Middlesex

1963 general election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John A. Lynch (incumbent) 94,829 63.29% Decrease 1.01
Republican Robert F. Moss 55,013 36.71% Increase 1.01
Total votes 149,842 100.0%

Monmouth

1963 general election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Richard R. Stout (incumbent) 67,449 59.65% Increase 1.86
Democratic Earl Moody 45,622 40.35% Decrease 1.86
Total votes 113,071 100.0%

Salem

1963 general election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John A. Waddington (incumbent) 13,665 61.86% Increase 1.94
Republican Joseph Narrow 8,412 38.08% Decrease 2.00
Socialist Labor David E. Wilson 12 0.05% N/A
Total votes 22,089 100.0%

Somerset

1963 general election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican William E. Ozzard (incumbent) 30,349 58.63% Increase 1.60
Democratic John J. Carlin 21,416 41.37% Decrease 1.60
Total votes 51,765 100.0%

Union

1963 general election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Nelson Stamler (incumbent) 94,820 54.61%
Democratic James M. McGowan 78,814 45.39%
Total votes 173,634 100.0%

Warren

1963 general election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Wayne Dumont (incumbent) 14,062 59.32% Increase 2.59
Democratic Joseph T. Brennan 9,645 40.68% Decrease 2.59
Total votes 23,707 100.0%

References

  1. ^ a b Wright, George Cable (17 Apr 1963). "Jersey Senator Loses Primary To Governor's Brother-in-Law; Freeholder Since 1960 Light Voter Turnout". The New York Times.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Chelland, Edmund J.; Aarons, Richard N. (17 Apr 1963). "Hulse Whips Haines for Senate Post in Burlington County". The Courier-Post. p. 1. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Results of the General Election Held November 5th, 1963" (PDF). Robert J. Burkhardt, New Jersey Secretary of State.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Cowgill Regular Democrats Victorious Over Carroll Slate". The Courier-Post. 17 Apr 1963. p. 1. Retrieved 12 May 2023.