- Source: 1973 New Jersey Senate election
The 1973 New Jersey State Senate Senate elections were held on November 6. The result of the elections were large gains for the Democratic Party, which won control of the Senate. The party picked up twelve seats. This election marked the first time since 1967 that Democrats controlled the State Senate.
The election coincided with Brendan Byrne's landslide re-election over Republican Charles W. Sandman Jr. The election also took place amidst the height of the Watergate scandal, just weeks after the Saturday Night Massacre.
This was also the first New Jersey Senate election held using single-member districts, as the state completed its long transition following the 1964 Reynolds v. Sims decision. As of 2022, it remains the largest single change in seats for Democrats or any party since single-member districts were adopted. This remains the greatest number of seats held by the Democrats since the adoption of single members districts.
Background
= Redistricting
=Until 1965, the New Jersey State Senate was composed of 21 senators, with each county electing one senator. After the U.S. Supreme Court, in Reynolds v. Sims (more commonly known as One Man, One Vote), required redistricting by state legislatures for congressional districts to keep represented populations equal, as well as requiring both houses of state legislatures to have districts drawn that contained roughly equal populations, and to perform redistricting when needed. In 1965, the Senate was increased from 21 members to 29 members, and larger counties were given more than one seat, and some smaller counties shared one or two senators. The map was changed again in 1967, and again in 1971, as the state adjusted to the one man, one vote ruling.
For the first time, the state was to be divided into 40 legislative districts, with each district electing one State Senator and two members of the General Assembly. The districts were drawn first to achieve a population balance (districts were drawn to be within +/- 4% of each other), and then to be as geographically compact as possible.
For the most part, incumbent senators were given their own districts in which to run, with one exception. Senators William J. Bate and Joseph Hirkala, both of Passaic County (District 14), were re-districted into the same district, numbered 34. Bate successfully ran for Assembly rather than challenge Hirkala.
Incumbents not running for re-election
= Democratic
=J. Edward Crabiel, Middlesex (District 18) (ran for Governor)
Norman Tanzman, Middlesex (District 19)
Ralph DeRose, Essex (District 28) (ran for Governor)
William J. Bate, Passaic (District 30) (redistricted; ran for Assembly)
William F. Kelly Jr., Hudson (District 32)
= Republican
=Frank Italiano, Camden (District 5)
John F. Brown, Ocean (District 9)
Peter W. Thomas, Morris (District 24)
Harold C. Hollenbeck, Bergen (District 36)
Alfred D. Schiaffo, Bergen (District 39)
Two incumbent Republican senators were elected to Congress in 1972 and resigned in January 1973 to take their seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Both seats were won by Democrats:
District 21: Matthew John Rinaldo was succeeded by Democrat Thomas Dunn, the Mayor of Elizabeth.
District 23: Joseph Maraziti was succeeded by Democrat Stephen Wiley, a Morristown attorney.
Summary of results by State Senate District
= Close races
=Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:
District 35, 0.28%
District 14, 3.06%
District 22, 4.64%
District 24, 5.24%
District 38, 5.29%
District 8, 5.64%
District 23, 6.12%
District 27, 6.18%
District 6, 6.32%
District 11, 8.10%
District 25, 8.48%
District 39, 8.58%
District 9, 9.06%
District 15, 9.98%
Incumbents defeated
= In primary elections
=Republicans
One incumbent Republican Senator was defeated for renomination in the June primary and Republicans held that seat:
District 22: Jerome Epstein (R-Union), succeeded by Republican Peter J. McDonough, an Assemblyman from Union County. McDonough won 60%-40% over the incumbent, who was facing an indictment.
= In general elections
=Democrats
District 35: Joseph Lazzara (D-Passaic) lost to Republican Frank Davenport, the Passaic County Sheriff.
Republicans
District 6: John L. Miller (R-Camden) lost to Democrat Alene Ammond.
District 10: Richard Stout (R-Monmouth) lost to Democrat Herbert Buehler.
District 12: Joseph Azzolina (R-Monmouth) lost to Democrat Eugene Bedell, an Assemblyman from Monmouth County.
District 14: William Schluter (R-Mercer) lost to Democrat Anne Clark Martindell. the Vice Chairwoman of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee.
District 20: Frank X. McDermott (R-Union) lost to Democrat Alexander J. Menza, an Assemblyman from Union County.
District 27: Michael Giuliano (R-Essex) lost to Democrat Carmen Orechio, the Mayor of Nutley.
District 37: Joseph Woodcock (R-Bergen) lost to Democrat Matthew Feldman. a former State Senator and the Bergen County Democratic Chairman.
District 38: Frederick Wendel (R-Bergen) lost to Democrat John Skevin, a former Assemblyman from Bergen County.
Open seats
= Democratic gains
=District 5: Frank Italiano (R-Camden), succeeded by Democrat John Horn, the Assembly Minority Leader, from Camden County.
District 9: John F. Brown (R-Ocean), succeeded by Democrat John F. Russo, a former Ocean County Prosecutor.
District 36: Harold Hollenbeck (R-Bergen), succeeded by Democrat Anthony Scardino, the Mayor of Lyndhurst.
District 39: Alfred Schiaffo (R-Bergen), succeeded by Raymond Garramone, the Mayor of Haworth.
= Independent gain
=District 30: William Bate (D-Passaic), succeeded by Independent Anthony Imperiale, an Assemblyman from Essex County. (Bate was redistricted into District 34, where Democrat Joseph Hirkala lived; instead of challenging Hirkala in the primary, he instead ran successfully for the State Assembly.)
= Democratic holds
=District 18: J. Edward Crabiel (D-Middlesex), who briefly sought the 1973 Democratic nomination for Governor, succeeded by Democrat Bernard Dwyer, the Mayor of Edison.
District 19: Norman Tanzman (D-Middlesex), succeeded by Democrat John Fay, an Assemblyman from Middlesex County.
District 28: Ralph DeRose (D-Essex), who lost to Brendan Byrne in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, succeeded by Democrat Martin L. Greenberg, who was Byrne's law partner.
District 32: William F. Kelly, Jr. (D-Hudson), succeeded by Democrat Joseph W. Tumulty.
= Republican hold
=District 24: Peter W. Thomas (R-Morris), succeeded by Republican James P. Vreeland, an Assemblyman from Morris County.
District 1
= Republican primary
=Results
= Democratic primary
=Results
= General election
=Candidates
William E. Bowen, director of the Bridgeton Housing Authority and former City Councilman
James S. Cafiero, incumbent Senator
Results
District 2
This district consisted of most of Atlantic County, as well as Little Egg Harbor Township, Tuckerton, and rural parts of Burlington County within the Pine Barrens.
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Irving A. Lilienfeld, Atlantic County Freeholder
F. Frederick Perone, former Atlantic City municipal judge
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Michael J. Matthews, Atlantic County Freeholder
Joseph McGahn, incumbent Senator
Results
= General election
=Candidates
Irving A. Lilienfeld, Atlantic County Freeholder (Republican)
Joseph McGahn, incumbent Senator (Democratic)
Campaign
Both candidates supported a statewide referendum on legalized gambling. Lilienfeld and his running mates supported a statewide coordinated mass transit program, while the Democratic ticket supported a county-wide transportation program. The Republicans also emphasized crackdowns on welfare fraud and stricter drug control, while the Democrats campaigned to attract more light industry to the region.
Results
District 3
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Robert E. Boakes, Woodbury attorney and former municipal judge
Walter Fish, Gloucester County Sheriff (write-in)
James M. Turner, incumbent Senator (until June 28)
= Declined =
Kenneth A. Black Jr., Assemblyman from Salem County
David Stroud, Woodbury attorney
Campaign
Turner was removed from his seat on June 28 after his conviction for conspiracy to place 6,500 amphetamine tablets in the home of Kenneth A. Gewertz, the Democratic Assemblyman from the district. He was sentenced to five years in prison.
The conviction barred Turner from holding state office. Nevertheless, Turner remained in the race, saying "I intend to win, and I expect the Senate to seat me."
Because it was too late to remove Turner from the ballot, an appeal was made to remove him, which a judge denied. The Republican Party attempted to run a write-in campaign for Gloucester Sheriff Walter Fish instead.
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Raymond Zane, Gloucester County Freeholder
Results
= General election
=Results
District 4
= Republican primary
=Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Joseph A. Maressa, incumbent Senator
Robert W. Yost, Gloucester Township registrar of deeds
Yost was backed by Angelo Errichetti and Jack Gasparre, the mayor of Cherry Hill.
Results
= General election
=Results
District 5
= Republican primary
=Candidates
= Declined =
Frank Italiano, incumbent Senator
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
John J. Horn, Assembly Minority Leader
= Declined =
James Florio, Assemblyman
Results
= General election
=District 6
= Republican primary
=Candidates
John L. Miller, incumbent Senator
= Declined =
William K. Dickey, Assemblyman from Collingswood
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Alene Ammond, candidate for Cherry Hill City Council in 1967
John P. Jehl, Voorhees attorney and former assistant Camden County prosecutor
The Democratic primary was part of a countywide power struggle between party chair James Joyce and Cherry Hill party leader Jack Gasparre, who was also backed by Angelo Errichetti, the leader of the Camden Democratic organization and the mayor-elect. The camps were also divided in their choices for Governor; Gasparre and Errichetti backed Brendan Byrne, while Joyce backed Ralph DeRose. As a corollary to their fight over control of the party, Gasparre backed a separate slate of legislative candidates in this and other districts. Although the sixth district was heavily Republican, it was considered crucial because it centered on Cherry Hill, and Gasparre considered it his home base. To counter Gasparre's ticket, Joyce recruited Alene Ammond, a political gadfly who had run an unsuccessful campaign for Cherry Hill council in 1967 and whose proposal to reorganize the Cherry Hill government was rejected by voters in 1972.
Ammond campaigned against Jehl as a puppet of Errichetti, whom she charged with bossism and corruption; the Gasparre ticket made the same accusations of Joyce. All candidates indicated varying opposition to a static income tax; Ammond and Jehl disagreed on casino gambling, with Jehl supporting its legalization in some areas if approved by voters and Ammond outright opposing its legalization. Ammond also came out in support of a deepwater oil port, despite Ralph DeRose's vote against it.
Results
= General election
=Although the district was considered safely Republican after the Republican majority was increased to 8,600 votes by redistricting, Ammond won an upset over Senator Miller.
District 7
= Republican primary
=Results
= Democratic primary
=Results
= General election
=Candidates
Bernardo Doganiero, perennial candidate (Socialist Labor)
Edward J. Hughes Jr., incumbent Senator (Democratic)
Walter L. Smith Jr., former Senator (Republican)
This race was a rematch of the 1971 contest between Hughes and Smith; Hughes won by an increased majority despite redistricting making the district more Republican and Smith resolving divisions within the party which had doomed him in 1971.
District 8
This district consisted of rural and suburban parts of Burlington County and eastern Mercer County, as well as Allentown, Roosevelt, and Upper Freehold Township in Monmouth County and Lakehurst and Manchester Township in Ocean County.
= Republican primary
=Results
= Democratic primary
=Results
= General election
=Candidates
Salvatore DiDonato, Mercer County Community College administrator (Democratic)
Barry T. Parker, incumbent Senator (Republican)
Campaign
DiDonato attacked Parker for his alleged support for special interest groups, particularly those involving workers' compensation issues. Parker, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, pledged "complete honesty and integrity in government."
Results
District 9
This district consisted of most of Ocean County, except for Little Egg Harbor, Tuckerton, and Manchester. It also took in Woodland Township in Burlington County and Millstone in Monmouth County. The largest towns in the district were Toms River and Lakewood.
= Republican primary
=Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Gaetano J. Alaimo, mayor of South Toms River
Wesley K. Bell, mayor of Stafford Township
Mark E. Egan, independent candidate for Freeholder in 1971
John F. Russo, Ocean County Democratic Party chair and former Ocean County Prosecutor
Results
= General election
=Candidates
Benjamin H. Mabie, Assemblyman from Pine Beach (Republican)
John F. Russo, former Ocean County Prosecutor (Democratic)
Campaign
Tax reform was the overriding issue in the race. Mabie and his Republican running mates opposed an income tax and advocated using state lottery revenue and the $200 million budget surplus to fund public education. This plan was predicated on passage of federal legislation absorbing state welfare costs.
Results
District 10
This Monmouth County district consisted of Wall Township and a series of shore towns: Monmouth Beach, Long Branch, Deal, Allenhurst, Loch Arbour, Interlaken, Ocean Township, Asbury Park, Neptune, Neptune City, Bradley Beach, Avon, Belmar, South Belmar, Spring Lake, Spring Lake Heights, Sea Girt, Manasquan, Brielle, Point Pleasant, and Point Pleasant Beach.
= Republican primary
=Results
= Democratic primary
== General election
=Candidates
Herbert J. Buehler, Ocean Township teacher (Democratic)
Richard R. Stout, incumbent Senator (Republican)
Campaign
Buehler focused his attacks on Stout's transportation record, charging that he failed to attract state and federal grants to solve the region's railroad issues. Stout maintained that he and other Republicans had attempted to do so, but were obstructed by the bankruptcy of the Penn Central Railroad. Stout also backed Republican gubernatorial nominee Charles W. Sandman's proposal for a mass transit agency, while Buehler backed his party's candidate, Brendan Byrne, by proposing that the Port Authority should assume responsibility for electrifying the New York and Long Branch Railroad.
The district was considered a Republican stronghold; Stout had been in office for 22 years. However, Buehler hoped to benefit from the popularity of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Brendan Byrne in the district.
Results
District 11
This district was located entirely within Monmouth County. It included the municipalities of Atlantic Higlands, Colts Neck, Eatontown, Englishtown, Fair Haven, Farmingdale, Freehold, Freehold Township, Hazlet Township, Highlands, Holmdel, Howell Township, Little Silver, Manalapan Township, Marlboro Township, New Shrewsbury, Oceanport, Rumson, Sea Bright, Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury Township, and West Long Branch.
= Republican primary
=Results
= Democratic primary
== General election
=Candidates
Alfred N. Beadleston, incumbent Senator and President of the New Jersey Senate (Republican)
H. Joseph Dietz, Colts Neck businessman (Democratic)
Campaign
Beadleston took a low-profile approach to his campaign. Dietz, who ran an individual campaign separate from his Assembly running mates, challened Beadleston to debates but was ignored or rejected. At one point, Dietz challenged Beadleston to a debate while Beadleston was serving as acting Governor.
Both candidates opposed a state income tax and supported cuts to welfare spending. They differed on how to reduce welfare spending, with Beadleston supporting a state takeover and Dietz supporting a federal takeover.
Results
District 12
This district was composed of the northern Monmouth County and southeastern Middlesex County. It included the Monmouth municipalities of Red Bank, Keansburg, Union Beach, Keyport, Matawan, Middletown Township and the Middlesex municipalities of Jamesburg, Madison Township (renamed Old Bridge in 1975), and Monroe Township.
Madison, Monroe, and Middletown were the largest and most politically significant municipalities.
= Republican primary
=Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Eugene J. Bedell, incumbent Assemblyman
Results
= General election
=Candidates
Joseph Azzolina, incumbent Senator (Republican)
Eugene Bedell, Assemblyman and labor union manager (Democratic)
Peter P. Garibaldi, Assemblyman and public accountant (Independent)
Peter P. Garibaldi, an incumbent Republican Assemblyman, entered the race after the Middlesex Republican Party denied him their nomination.
Campaign
This race featured three men who would serve in the Senate at some point: the incumbent Joseph Azzolina, the victor Eugene Bedell, and future Senator Peter P. Garibaldi. Though Garibaldi was a Republican, his campaign was expected to draw liberal Democratic voters away from Bedell.
One of the key issues in the campaign was the potential construction of a deepwater port. Azzolina was opposed to a port in the district; Bedell initially favored it before softening his stance. Bedell's Assembly running mates opposed a port until it could be deemed safe. Garibaldi received the highest score from the New Jersey Environmental Voters Alliance.
Results
District 13
= Republican primary
=Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Joseph P. Merlino, incumbent Senator (District 6B)
Results
= General election
=District 14
= Republican primary
=Candidates
William Schluter, incumbent Senator (District 6A)
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Anne Clark Martindell, vice chair of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee
Results
= General election
=District 15
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Wayne Dumont Jr., incumbent Senator since 1968 (District 15)
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Martin F. Murphy, West Milford attorney
Results
= General election
=District 16
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Raymond Bateman, incumbent Senator since 1958 (District 8)
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Herbert Koransky
Results
= General election
=District 17
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Robert K. Harlig Jr.
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
John Lynch, incumbent Senator since 1956 (District 7)
Results
= General election
=District 18
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Fuller H. Brooks
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Bernard J. Dwyer, Mayor of Edison
Results
= General election
=District 19
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Matthew E. Hawke
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
John J. Fay Jr., incumbent Assemblyman
Results
= General election
=District 20
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Francis X. McDermott, incumbent Senator (District 9)
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Alexander J. Menza, incumbent Assemblyman
Results
= General election
=District 21
= Republican primary
=Candidates
William G. Palermo Jr.
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Thomas G. Dunn, incumbent Senator
Results
= General election
=District 22
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Jerome Epstein, incumbent Senator (District 9)
Peter McDonough, incumbent Assemblyman
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
William Wright Jr.
Results
= General election
=District 23
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Josephine Margetts, incumbent Assemblywoman
Joseph F. Warganz
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Stephen B. Wiley, Morris Township attorney
Results
= General election
=District 24
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Peter W. Thomas, incumbent Senator (District 10)
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
John C. Keefe
Results
= General election
=District 25
= Republican primary
=Candidates
James Wallwork, incumbent Senator (District 11)
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Donald S. Coburn
Joel Wasserman
Results
= General election
=District 26
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Salvatore Beninanti
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Frank J. Dodd, incumbent Senator (District 11)
Joseph A. Lazaro
Results
= General election
=District 27
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Michael A. Giuliano, incumbent Senator (District 11)
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Carmen Orechio, mayor of Nutley
Results
= General election
=District 28
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Joseph Galluzzi
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Martin L. Greenberg, attorney, candidate for Senator in 1971, and political director for Governor Brendan Byrne's re-election campaign
= Declined =
Ralph DeRose, incumbent Senator (District 11) (running for Governor)
Results
= General election
=District 29
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Lillie Simpson
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Wynona Lipman, incumbent Senator (District 11)
Results
= General election
=District 30
= Republican primary
=Candidates
C. Richard Fiore, incumbent Assemblyman from Newark
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Gregory J. Castano, Newark Star-Ledger sportswriter
Mary V. Senatore, Belleville Commissioner
Campaign
The campaign pitted the Hudson County Democratic Organization, which supported Castano, against the Essex County Organization, which supported Senatore.
Results
= General election
=District 31
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Franco Di Domenica
Henry W. Kolakowski
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
James P. Dugan, incumbent Senator (District 12)
Results
= General election
=District 32
= Republican primary
=Candidates
John P. Errico
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Michael J. Bell
Joseph W. Tumulty, Jersey City attorney
= Declined =
William F. Kelly Jr., incumbent Senator (District 12) since 1958
Results
= General election
=District 33
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Thomas McSherry
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Harry J. Leber
William V. Musto, incumbent Senator (District 12)
Results
= General election
=District 34
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Louise Friedman
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Joseph Hirkala, incumbent Senator (District 14)
= Declined =
William J. Bate, incumbent Senator (District 14) (ran for Assembly)
Results
= General election
=District 35
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Dominic Cuccinello
Michael U. DeVita, former mayor of Paterson (1948–51)
Joseph A. Lazzara, incumbent Senator (District 14)
Roy Leon Ward
Results
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Frank Davenport, Passaic County Sheriff
Results
= General election
=District 36
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Harold A. Pareti
= Declined =
Harold Hollenbeck
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Anthony Scardino, mayor of Lyndhurst
Results
= General election
=District 37
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Joseph Woodcock, incumbent Senator (District 13)
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Matthew Feldman, Bergen County Democratic chairman and former Senator
Results
= General election
=District 38
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Frederick E. Wendel, incumbent Senator (District 13)
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
John Skevin, former Assemblyman (1966–68)
Joseph Ventricelli
Results
= General election
=District 39
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Harry Randall Jr.
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Raymond Garramone, mayor of Haworth
Results
= General election
=District 40
= Republican primary
=Candidates
Garrett W. Hagedorn, incumbent Senator (District 13)
Results
= Democratic primary
=Candidates
Paul Z. Lewis
Results
= General election
=Leadership
Democrats chose Frank J. Dodd as the Senate President and Matthew Feldman as Majority Leader; Republicans named the outgoing Senate President, Alfred Beadleston as Minority Leader.
Notes
References
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- 1973 New Jersey Senate election
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