# 2014 United States Senate election in New Jersey

Elections in New Jersey :
Federal government
U.S. President
1788-89
1792
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
Dem
2008
Rep
Dem
2012
2016
Dem
2020
Dem
2024
Dem
Rep
U.S. Senate
1788
1790
1790 (sp)
1792
1796
1796 (sp)
1798
1799 (sp)
1801 (sp)
1803 (sp)
1804
1808
1809
1809 (sp)
1810
1815
1816 (sp)
1817
1820
1823
1823 (sp)
1826
1826 (sp)
1829
1829 (sp)
1833
1835
1839
1840
1845
1846
1851
1853 (sp)
1857
1858
1863 (sp)
1864
1866 (sp)
1867 (sp)
1869
1875
1877
1881
1883
1886
1889
1893
1895
1899
1901
1902 (sp)
1905
1907
1911
1913
1916
1918
1918 (sp)
1922
1924
1928
1930
1930 (sp)
1932 (sp)
1934
1936
1938 (sp)
1940
1942
1944 (sp)
1948
1954
1958
1960
1964
1966
1970
1972
1976
1978
1982
1984
1988
1990
1994
1996
2000
2002
2006
2008
2012
2013 (sp)
2014
2018
2020
2024
2026
U.S. House of Representatives
1789
1791
1792
1794
1795 (sp AL)
1797
1798
1800
1803
1804
1806
1808 (sp AL)
1808
1810 (sp AL)
1810
1814 (sp 3rd)
1813
1814
1816
1818
1820
1821 (sp AL)
1822
1824
1826
1828
1828 (sp AL)
1830
1832
1834
1836
1836
1838
1840
1842
1844
1846
1850
1852
1854
1856
1858
1860
1862
1864
1866
1868
1870
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1913 (sp 6th)
1914
1916
1920
1924
1926
1928
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1948
1950
1951 (sp 9th)
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1968
1972
1980
1984
1988
1988 (sp 3rd)
1990
1990 (sp 1st)
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2006
2006 (5th)
2006 (12th)
2008
2010
2012
2012 (sp 10th)
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2024 (sp 10th)
2026 :
State government
General elections
2009
2010
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2020
2021
2023
2025
Gubernatorial elections
1843
1844
1847
1850
1853
1856
1859
1862
1865
1868
1871
1874
1877
1880
1883
1886
1889
1892
1895
1898
1901
1904
1907
1910
1913
1916
1919
1922
1925
1928
1931
1934
1937
1940
1943
1946
1949
1953
1957
1961
1965
1969
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025
Senate elections
1873
1957
1959
1961
1963
1965
1967
1971
1973
1977
1981
1983
1987
1991
1993
1997
2001
2003
2007
2011
2013
2017
2021
2023
General Assembly elections
1985
1987
1989
1991
2015
2017
2019
2021
2023
2025 :
Newark
Mayoral elections
1970
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022 :
Jersey City
Mayoral elections
2001
2004
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025 :
Hoboken
Mayoral elections
2005
2017
2021
2025 :
Atlantic City
Mayoral elections
2017
2021 :
vte :
The 2014 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 4, 2014, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of New Jersey. Incumbent senator Cory Booker was first elected in a 2013 special election to complete the term of fellow Democrat Frank Lautenberg, who died in office. Booker defeated Jeff Bell to win a first full term.
This is the last time that Somerset County voted Republican in a statewide election.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates
#### Declared

* Cory Booker, incumbent U.S. Senator

#### Withdrew

* Antonio Sabas, candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2013 (ran as an independent)

#### Declined

* Rob Andrews, U.S. Representative and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2008
* Robert M. Gordon, state senator
* Patrick J. Kennedy, former U.S. Representative from Rhode Island
* Beth Mason, Hoboken City Councilwoman
* Bill Pascrell, U.S. Representative
* Ronald Rice, state senator
* Stephen M. Sweeney, president of the New Jersey Senate

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Rob Andrews | Cory Booker | Rush D. Holt Jr. | Frank Pallone | Stephen Sweeney | Other | Undecided |
| Public Policy Polling | November 26–28, 2012 | 300 | ± 5.6% | 17% | 48% | — | 13% | — | 11% | 11% |
| Merriman-River | January 7–9, 2013 | 1,170 | ± 2.9% | 10% | 48% | — | 8% | 6% | — | 28% |
| Farleigh Dickinson | March 4–10, 2013 | 323 | ± 5.5% | — | 50% | 7% | 4% | — | 6% | 32% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Cory Booker | Frank Lautenberg | Other | Undecided |
| Public Policy Polling | November 26–28, 2012 | 300 | ± 5.6% | 59% | 22% | — | 18% |
| Fairleigh Dickinson | January 2–6, 2013 | 700 | ± 3.7% | 42% | 20% | 17% | 21% |
| Merriman-River | January 7–9, 2013 | 1,170 | ± 2.9% | 48% | 21% | — | 31% |
| Quinnipiac | January 15–21, 2013 | 616 | ± 4% | 51% | 30% | 1% | 18% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Cory Booker | Frank Lautenberg | Frank Pallone | Alan Rosenthal | Stephen Sweeney | Other | Undecided |
| Monmouth | February 6–10, 2013 | | ± 7.1% | 40% | 25% | 4% | 2% | 2% | 5% | 22% |

### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Cory Booker (incumbent) | 197,158 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 197,158 | 100.00% |

## Republican primary

2013 nominee Steve Lonegan announced in his concession speech that he would not run again for the seat in the 2014 race. The top-tier candidates for the Republican primary, Thomas Kean Jr. and Jay Webber also declined to run in early January 2014, leaving Jon Bramnick and Michael J. Doherty as the remaining candidates with established credentials and fundraising abilities able to start a United States Senate campaign. On January 9, 2014, Brian D. Goldberg, a West Orange resident and New Jersey businessman, announced that he would seek the Republican nomination. The following week, on January 17, 2014, both Bramnick and Doherty announced that they would not be running for United States Senate.
On January 27, 2014, Freehold Township businessman Richard J. "Rich" Pezzullo announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination. Pezzullo had previously run for the US Senate in 1996 as the Conservative Party candidate. On February 4, 2014, conservative political consultant Jeff Bell announced his bid for the nomination. Bell was the nominee for the Senate in 1978, having defeated incumbent senator Clifford Case in the Republican primary and was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination in 1982. Ramapo College professor Murray Sabrin, who ran for the Senate in 2000 and 2008, announced another run on February 13. Former FBI agent Robert Turkavage, who ran as an Independent candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2012, had declared his candidacy. However, he got stuck in a traffic jam when he attempted to turn in his petitions shortly before the deadline, and was forced to withdraw.
On March 4, Richard Pezzullo won the Union County Convention on the first ballot, going on to then win the line in Camden County and Republican stronghold Monmouth County. Opponent Brian Goldberg won the party lines in conventions in Ocean, Atlantic, Cumberland, Mercer, and Somerset Counties. Murray Sabrin won only the Middlesex line, and Jeffrey Bell made no convention appearances and contested no lines. Three candidates – Brian Goldberg, Richard Pezzullo and Murray Sabrin – claimed the Burlington county line, though only Goldberg claimed to have won the line. Goldberg was given the county line with no convention in Essex, Passaic, and Hudson Counties. Robert Turkavage won the convention in Hunterdon County, but the line transferred to Goldberg after Turkavage dropped out of the race.
Jeff Bell received significant support from the conservative American Principles Fund, who ran a direct mail operation that cost over $80,000, and the National Organization for Marriage, a conservative traditional marriage group, who paid for $6,000 of automated calling.

### Candidates
#### Declared

* Jeff Bell, political consultant, nominee for this seat in 1978 and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1982
* Brian D. Goldberg, businessman
* Richard J. "Rich" Pezzullo, businessman and perennial candidate
* Murray Sabrin, professor at Ramapo College and perennial candidate

#### Withdrew

* Robert Turkavage, former FBI agent and Independent candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2012

#### Declined

* Jeffrey Chiesa, former U.S. senator
* Jack Ciattarelli, state assemblyman
* Roger Daley, former Middlesex County Freeholder, former judge on the New Jersey Superior Court and candidate for Middlesex County Freeholder in 2013
* Alieta Eck, former president of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, founder of the Zarephath Health Center and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2013
* Scott Garrett, U.S. Representative
* Jon Hanson, former chairman of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority
* Chris Isola, former Marine
* Thomas Kean Jr., Minority Leader of the New Jersey Senate and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2006
* Joe Kyrillos, state senator and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2012
* Susanne LaFrankie, former television news reporter
* Frank LoBiondo, U.S. Representative
* Steve Lonegan, state director of Americans for Prosperity, former mayor of Bogota, candidate for governor in 2005 and 2009 and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2013
* Bill Palatucci, attorney and member of the Republican National Committee
* Joe J. Plumeri, businessman
* Geraldo Rivera, talk show host
* David Samson, chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and former New Jersey Attorney General
* Jay Webber, state assemblyman

### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jeff Bell | 42,728 | 29.41% |
| | Republican | Richard J. Pezzullo | 38,130 | 26.24% |
| | Republican | Brian D. Goldberg | 36,266 | 24.96% |
| | Republican | Murray Sabrin | 28,183 | 19.40% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 145,307 | 100.00% |
| County | Bell | Bell | Pezzullo | Pezzullo | Goldberg | Goldberg | Sabrin | Sabrin | Total Votes |
| County | Total | % | Total | % | Total | % | Total | % | Total Votes |
| Atlantic | 1,115 | 17.85% | 744 | 11.91% | 4,030 | 64.50% | 359 | 5.75% | 6,248 |
| Bergen | 4,833 | 56.63% | 1,501 | 17.59% | 953 | 11.17% | 1,248 | 14.62% | 8,535 |
| Burlington | 4,208 | 39.12% | 3,220 | 24.58% | 1,577 | 12.04% | 4,097 | 31.27% | 13,102 |
| Camden | 2,121 | 36.05% | 2,566 | 43.62% | 299 | 5.08% | 897 | 15.25% | 5,883 |
| Cape May | 2,011 | 60.70% | 740 | 22.34% | 245 | 7.40% | 317 | 9.57% | 3,313 |
| Cumberland | 436 | 23.34% | 301 | 16.11% | 1,038 | 55.58% | 93 | 4.98% | 1,868 |
| Essex | 904 | 20.45% | 1,035 | 23.42% | 2,161 | 48.89% | 320 | 7.24% | 4,420 |
| Gloucester | 1,213 | 29.43% | 1,280 | 31.06% | 714 | 17.33% | 914 | 22.18% | 4,121 |
| Hudson | 642 | 21.89% | 285 | 9.70% | 1,225 | 41.71% | 785 | 26.73% | 2,937 |
| Hunterdon | 2,426 | 28.29% | 2,604 | 30.37% | 2,118 | 24.70% | 1,426 | 16.63% | 8,574 |
| Mercer | 927 | 26.16% | 377 | 10.64% | 1,331 | 37.56% | 909 | 25.65% | 3,544 |
| Middlesex | 1,738 | 26.31% | 1,338 | 20.25% | 1,531 | 23.18% | 1,999 | 30.26% | 6,606 |
| Monmouth | 2,096 | 19.26% | 5,999 | 55.11% | 497 | 4.57% | 2,293 | 21.07% | 10,885 |
| Morris | 5,206 | 37.09% | 3,197 | 22.77% | 1,280 | 9.12% | 4,355 | 31.02% | 14,038 |
| Ocean | 3,389 | 17.51% | 3,570 | 18.45% | 10,840 | 56.02% | 1,552 | 8.02% | 19,351 |
| Passaic | 1,194 | 20.64% | 1,015 | 17.55% | 2,414 | 41.74% | 1,161 | 20.07% | 5,784 |
| Salem | 332 | 25.50% | 389 | 29.88% | 78 | 5.99% | 503 | 38.63% | 1,302 |
| Somerset | 3,399 | 36.35% | 1,577 | 16.86% | 3,122 | 33.39% | 1,253 | 13.40% | 9,351 |
| Sussex | 1,465 | 26.68% | 2,451 | 44.64% | 292 | 5.32% | 1,282 | 23.35% | 5,490 |
| Union | 1,162 | 19.37% | 3,117 | 51.96% | 283 | 4.72% | 1,437 | 23.95% | 5,999 |
| Warren | 1,871 | 48.15% | 794 | 20.43% | 238 | 6.12% | 983 | 25.30% | 3,886 |

## General election
### Debates

* Complete video of debate, October 24, 2014

### Fundraising

| Candidate (party) | Receipts | Disbursements | Cash on hand | Debt |
| Cory Booker (D) | $16,534,557 | $14,742,187 | $2,583,176 | $5,266 |
| Jeff Bell (R) | $373,577 | $282,459 | $91,116 | $11,788 |

### Endorsements

Organizations
* NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC
* New Jersey Education Association PAC
* New Jersey State AFL-CIO
Current & former elected officials
* Chris Christie, Governor of New Jersey
* Thomas Kean, former Governor of New Jersey (1982–1990) and Chairman of the 9/11 Commission
Media
* The New York Sun
Organizations
* American Conservative Union PAC

### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Solid D | November 3, 2014 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe D | November 3, 2014 |
| Rothenberg Political Report | Safe D | November 3, 2014 |
| Real Clear Politics | Likely D | November 3, 2014 |

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Cory Booker (D) | Jeff Bell (R) | Other | Undecided |
| Rasmussen Reports | June 17–18, 2014 | 750 | ± 4% | 48% | 35% | 4% | 13% |
| Monmouth University | June 25–29, 2014 | 717 | ± 3.7% | 43% | 23% | 15% | 17% |
| CBS News/NYT/YouGov | July 5–24, 2014 | 2,645 | ± 3.4% | 50% | 43% | 1% | 6% |
| Quinnipiac University | July 31 – August 4, 2014 | 1,148 | ± 2.9% | 47% | 37% | 1% | 16% |
| CBS News/NYT/YouGov | August 18 – September 2, 2014 | 2,244 | ± 3% | 52% | 37% | 2% | 10% |
| Fairleigh Dickinson University | September 1–7, 2014 | 721 | ± 3.7% | 42% | 29% | 1% | 27% |
| Richard Stockton College | September 5–8, 2014 | 807 | ± 3.5% | 49% | 36% | 3% | 12% |
| Quinnipiac University | September 25–29, 2014 | 1,058 | ± 3% | 51% | 40% | 1% | 8% |
| CBS News/NYT/YouGov | September 20 – October 1, 2014 | 2,011 | ± 3% | 51% | 37% | 0% | 12% |
| Monmouth University | October 2–5, 2014 | 477 | ± 4.5% | 53% | 38% | 2% | 7% |
| Fairleigh Dickinson University | October 13–19, 2014 | 525 | ± 4.3% | 56% | 40% | 1% | 3% |
| Richard Stockton College | October 18–22, 2014 | 806 | ± 3.5% | 57% | 33% | 5% | 5% |
| CBS News/NYT/YouGov | October 16–23, 2014 | 1,868 | ± 4% | 51% | 39% | 0% | 9% |
| Monmouth University | October 30 – November 2, 2014 | 750 | ± 3.6% | 54% | 40% | 1% | 5% |
With Andrews
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Rob Andrews (D) | Kim Guadagno (R) | Other | Undecided |
| Public Policy Polling | November 26–28, 2012 | 600 | ± 4% | 35% | 34% | — | 31% |
With Booker
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Cory Booker (D) | Kim Guadagno (R) | Other | Undecided |
| Public Policy Polling | November 26–28, 2012 | 600 | ± 4% | 42% | 39% | — | 19% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Cory Booker (D) | Geraldo Rivera (R) | Other | Undecided |
| Quinnipiac University | February 13–17, 2013 | 1,149 | ± 2.9% | 59% | 23% | 2% | 17% |
| Farleigh Dickinson University | March 4–10, 2013 | 702 | ± 3.7% | 52% | 21% | — | 26% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Cory Booker (D) | Murray Sabrin (R) | Other | Undecided |
| Monmouth University | February 19–23, 2014 | 690 | ± 3.7% | 58% | 25% | 1% | 15% |
With Bradley
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Bill Bradley (D) | Jeff Bell (R) | Other | Undecided |
| Fairleigh Dickinson University | October 13–19, 2014 | 525 | ± 4.3% | 57% | 36% | 0% | 7% |
With Lautenberg
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Frank Lautenberg (D) | Kim Guadagno (R) | Other | Undecided |
| Public Policy Polling | November 26–28, 2012 | 600 | ± 4% | 48% | 33% | — | 19% |
With Pallone
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Frank Pallone (D) | Kim Guadagno (R) | Other | Undecided |
| Public Policy Polling | November 26–28, 2012 | 600 | ± 4% | 22% | 42% | — | 36% |

### Results

United States Senate election in New Jersey, 2014 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Cory Booker (incumbent) | 1,043,866 | 55.84% | +0.92% |
| | Republican | Jeff Bell | 791,297 | 42.33% | −1.69% |
| | Libertarian | Joseph Baratelli | 16,721 | 0.89% | N/A |
| | Independent | Hank Schroeder | 5,704 | 0.31% | N/A |
| | Independent | Jeff Boss | 4,513 | 0.24% | N/A |
| | Independent | Eugene Martin Lavergne | 3,890 | 0.21% | +0.13% |
| | Independent | Antonio N. Sabas | 3,544 | 0.19% | +0.09% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,869,535 | 100.00% | N/A |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

#### By county

By county :
| County | Booker % | Booker votes | Bell % | Bell votes | Other % | Other votes |
| Atlantic | 51.4% | 32,566 | 46.5% | 29,422 | 2.1% | 1,319 |
| Bergen | 57.3% | 124,409 | 41.2% | 89,597 | 1.5% | 3,204 |
| Burlington | 54.3% | 64,730 | 44.2% | 52,721 | 1.5% | 1,755 |
| Camden | 65.3% | 73,881 | 33.2% | 37,543 | 1.5% | 1,730 |
| Cape May | 41.1% | 11,572 | 57.4% | 16,178 | 1.5% | 429 |
| Cumberland | 53.3% | 14,830 | 44.8% | 12,455 | 1.9% | 537 |
| Essex | 77.2% | 106,472 | 21.4% | 29,527 | 1.4% | 1,975 |
| Gloucester | 52.8% | 37,131 | 45.1% | 31,717 | 2.1% | 1,456 |
| Hudson | 78.4% | 68,165 | 19.2% | 16,707 | 2.4% | 2,109 |
| Hunterdon | 38.7% | 14,241 | 59.0% | 21,709 | 2.3% | 864 |
| Mercer | 65.8% | 52,476 | 32.3% | 25,749 | 1.9% | 1,524 |
| Middlesex | 60.0% | 83,732 | 38.4% | 53,679 | 1.6% | 2,244 |
| Monmouth | 44.9% | 67,011 | 53.2% | 79,417 | 1.9% | 2,863 |
| Morris | 42.9% | 49,920 | 55.6% | 64,688 | 1.6% | 1,807 |
| Ocean | 40.3% | 55,631 | 57.4% | 79,254 | 2.2% | 3,082 |
| Passaic | 60.6% | 52,533 | 37.6% | 32,612 | 1.7% | 1,508 |
| Salem | 44.5% | 8,060 | 51.4% | 9,304 | 4.1% | 733 |
| Somerset | 48.6% | 37,124 | 49.5% | 37,835 | 1.9% | 1,448 |
| Sussex | 35.3% | 12,722 | 61.8% | 22,292 | 2.9% | 1,046 |
| Union | 65.0% | 68,051 | 33.2% | 34,741 | 1.8% | 1,855 |
| Warren | 36.4% | 8,609 | 59.8% | 14,150 | 3.7% | 884 |
| Total | 55.84% | 1,043,866 | 42.33% | 791,297 | 1.83% | 34,372 |

#### By congressional district

Booker won 7 of the 12 congressional districts, including one that elected a Republican.
| District | Booker | Bell | Representative |
| 1st | 62.47% | 35.86% | Donald Norcross |
| 2nd | 47.49% | 50.35% | Frank LoBiondo |
| 3rd | 48.02% | 50.08% | Tom MacArthur |
| 4th | 44.27% | 53.8% | Chris Smith |
| 5th | 49.65% | 48.62% | Scott Garrett |
| 6th | 58.29% | 39.98% | Frank Pallone Jr. |
| 7th | 44.21% | 53.7% | Leonard Lance |
| 8th | 79.05% | 18.75% | Albio Sires |
| 9th | 66.9% | 31.19% | Bill Pascrell |
| 10th | 86.1% | 12.25% | Donald Payne Jr. |
| 11th | 47.18% | 51.31% | Rodney Frelinghuysen |
| 12th | 64.23% | 34.13% | Bonnie Watson Coleman |