# 1959 New Jersey Senate election

The 1959 New Jersey Senate elections were held on November 3.
The elections took place midway through the second term of Governor Robert Meyner. Eleven of New Jersey's 21 counties held regular elections for Senator; Cumberland County also held a special election to complete the unexpired term of W. Howard Sharp, who died in December 1958.
Democrats gained three seats (including the vacant seat in Cumberland) and nearly won control of the New Jersey Senate for the first time since 1915; only 567 votes separated victorious Republican Robert C. Crane and Democrat H. Roy Wheeler in Union County.

## Incumbents not running for re-election

All ten incumbents ran for re-election.

## Summary of results by county

| County | Incumbent | Party | Party | Elected Senator | Party | Party |
| Atlantic | Frank S. Farley | | Rep | No election | No election | No election |
| Bergen | Walter H. Jones | | Rep | No election | No election | No election |
| Burlington | Albert McCay | | Rep | Henry S. Haines | | Dem |
| Camden | Joseph W. Cowgill | | Dem | Joseph W. Cowgill | | Dem |
| Cape May | Charles W. Sandman | | Rep | Charles W. Sandman | | Rep |
| Cumberland | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Robert H. Weber | | Dem |
| Essex | Donal C. Fox | | Dem | Donal C. Fox | | Dem |
| Gloucester | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Thomas F. Connery Jr. | | Dem |
| Hudson | William F. Kelly Jr. | | Dem | No election | No election | No election |
| Hunterdon | Wesley Lance | | Rep | No election | No election | No election |
| Mercer | Sido Ridolfi | | Dem | No election | No election | 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 | No election | No election |
| Ocean | W. Steelman Mathis | | Rep | No election | No election | No election |
| Passaic | Anthony J. Grossi | | Dem | No election | No election | 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 | No election | No election |
| Union | Robert C. Crane | | Rep | Robert C. Crane | | Rep |
| Warren | Wayne Dumont | | Rep | Wayne Dumont | | Rep |
* ↑ This seat was vacant following the December 1958 death of Senator W. Howard Sharp.
* ↑ This seat was vacant following the May 1959 resignation of Senator Harold W. Hannold.
* ↑ Ozzard won a 1958 special election to complete the unexpired term of Senator Malcolm Forbes, who resigned.
* ↑ Crane won a 1956 special election to complete the unexpired term of Senator Kenneth Hand, who resigned to become a Superior Court judge.

### Close races

Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:
* Union, 0.34%
* Gloucester, 1.54%
* Camden, 3.44%
* Essex, 5.88%
* Burlington, 8.26% gain

## Burlington

1959 general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Henry S. Haines | 30,183 | 54.13% |
| | Republican | Albert McCay (incumbent) | 25,575 | 45.87% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 55,758 | 100.0% |

## Camden

1959 general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Joseph W. Cowgill (incumbent) | 61,656 | 51.72% |
| | Republican | William G. Rohrer | 57,564 | 48.28% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 119,220 | 100.0% |

## Cape May

1959 general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Charles W. Sandman (incumbent) | 12,206 | 61.38% |
| | Democratic | Fred C. Barthelmess | 7,679 | 38.62% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 19,885 | 100.0% |

## Cumberland (special)

1959 general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Robert H. Weber | 17,419 | 56.10% |
| | Republican | Robert G. Howell | 13,631 | 43.90% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 31,050 | 100.0% |

## Essex

1959 general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Donal C. Fox (incumbent) | 126,800 | 51.11% |
| | Republican | Alfred C. Clapp | 112,218 | 45.23% |
| | Independent | Anthony D. Scipio | 7,426 | 2.99% |
| | Independent | Frank DeGeorge | 1,643 | 0.66% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 248,087 | 100.0% |

## Gloucester

1959 general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Thomas F. Connery Jr. | 23,665 | 50.77% |
| | Republican | John Joseph Kitchen | 22,943 | 49.23% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 46,608 | 100.0% |

## Middlesex

1959 general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | John A. Lynch (incumbent) | 86,880 | 64.30% |
| | Republican | Fred S. Brause | 48,231 | 35.70% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 135,111 | 100.0% |

## Monmouth

1959 general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Richard R. Stout (incumbent) | 54,946 | 57.79% |
| | Democratic | Thomas J. Smith | 40,125 | 42.21% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 95,071 | 100.0% |

## Salem

1959 general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | John A. Waddington (incumbent) | 12,215 | 59.92% |
| | Republican | Peter B. Hoff | 8,172 | 40.08% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 20,387 | 100.0% |

## Somerset

1959 general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | William E. Ozzard (incumbent) | 24,120 | 57.03% |
| | Democratic | William H. Sutherland | 18,175 | 42.97% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 42,295 | 100.0% |

## Union

1959 general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Robert C. Crane (incumbent) | 82,609 | 49.61% |
| | Democratic | H. Roy Wheeler | 82,042 | 49.27% |
| | Independent | Frank Chodorov | 1,862 | 1.12% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 166,513 | 100.0% |

## Warren

1959 general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Wayne Dumont (incumbent) | 13,366 | 56.73% |
| | Democratic | Thomas C. Swick | 10,194 | 43.27% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 23,560 | 100.0% |