1961 New Jersey Senate election

The 1961 New Jersey State Senate elections were held on November 5.

1961 New Jersey Senate elections

← 1959 November 5, 1961 1963 →

10 of the 21 seats in the New Jersey State Senate
11 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Seats before 11 10
Seats won 11 10
Seat change Steady Steady
Seats up 6 4
Races won 6 4

Senate President before election

William E. Ozzard
Republican

Elected Senate President

William E. Ozzard
Republican

The elections took place alongside the election of Governor Richard J. Hughes. Ten of New Jersey's 21 counties elected Senators; no seats changed hands.

Incumbents not running for re-election

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Democratic

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All four Democratic Senators up for re-election ran for another term.

Republican

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Summary of results by county

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County Incumbent Party Elected Senator Party
Atlantic Frank S. Farley Rep Frank S. Farley Rep
Bergen Walter H. Jones Rep Pierce Deamer Rep
Burlington Henry S. Haines Dem No election
Camden Joseph W. Cowgill Dem No election
Cape May Charles W. Sandman Rep No election
Cumberland Robert H. Weber Dem Robert H. Weber Dem
Essex Donal C. Fox Dem No election
Gloucester Thomas F. Connery Jr. Dem No election
Hudson William F. Kelley Jr. Dem William F. Kelly Jr. Dem
Hunterdon Wesley Lance Rep Raymond Bowkley Rep
Mercer Sido Ridolfi Dem Sido Ridolfi Dem
Middlesex John A. Lynch Dem No election
Monmouth Richard R. Stout Rep No election
Morris Thomas J. Hillery Rep Thomas J. Hillery Rep
Ocean W. Steelman Mathis Rep W. Steelman Mathis Rep
Passaic Anthony J. Grossi Dem Anthony J. Grossi Dem
Salem John A. Waddington Dem No election
Somerset William E. Ozzard Rep No election
Sussex George B. Harper Rep George B. Harper Rep
Union Robert C. Crane Rep No election
Warren Wayne Dumont Rep No election

Close races

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Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:

  1. Ocean, 5.74%
  2. Hunterdon, 5.76%
  3. Cumberland, 9.27%

Atlantic

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1961 general election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Frank S. Farley (incumbent) 34,949 57.93%
Democratic John M. Keeley 25,381 42.07%
Total votes 60,330 100.0%

Bergen

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1961 general election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Pierce H. Deamer Jr. 160,125 55.81%
Democratic Fred C. Galda 124,492 43.39%
Conservative Irving F. Kent 1,626 0.57%
Socialist Labor Nathan Karp 668 0.23%
Total votes 286,911 100.0%

Cumberland

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1961 general election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Robert H. Weber (incumbent) 19,123 54.61%
Republican Carlton E. Mason 15,875 45.34%
Socialist Labor Walter C. Wright 18 0.05%
Total votes 35,016 100.0%

Hudson

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1961 general election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic William F. Kelley Jr. (incumbent) 136,987 60.71%
Republican Norman H. Roth 86,914 38.52%
Conservative Clifford R. Ensslin 1,731 0.77%
Total votes 225,632 100.0%

Hunterdon

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1961 general election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Raymond E. Bowkley 10,629 52.33%
Democratic Frank W. Bohren 9,458 46.57%
Conservative Robert W. Harris 223 1.10%
Total votes 20,310 100.0%

Mercer

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1961 general election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Sido L. Ridolfi (incumbent) 57,895 64.45%
Republican Daniel A. O'Donnell 31,929 35.55%
Total votes 89,824 100.0%

Remarkably, Senator Ridolfi received the exact same number of votes he had received in 1957.[2]

Morris

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1961 general election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Thomas J. Hillery (incumbent) 57,917 68.00%
Democratic Edward A. Dunbar 27,259 32.00%
Total votes 85,176 100.0%

Ocean

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1961 general election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican W. Steelman Mathis (incumbent) 22,010 52.87%
Democratic Albert J. Cucci 19,624 47.13%
Total votes 41,634 100.0%

Passaic

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1961 general election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Anthony J. Grossi (incumbent) 72,676 55.13%
Republican Paul G. DeMuro 58,080 44.06%
Conservative Charles R. Checkley 804 0.61%
Socialist Harry Santhouse 255 0.19%
Total votes 131,815 100.0%

Sussex

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1961 general election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican George B. Harper (incumbent) 10,670 54.95%
Democratic Frank A. Dolan 8,749 45.05%
Total votes 19,419 100.0%

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Results of the General Election Held November 7th, 1961" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State.
  2. ^ "Results of the General Election Held November 5th, 1957" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State.