1955 New Jersey Senate election
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10 of the 21 seats in the New Jersey State Senate 11 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1955 New Jersey State Senate elections were held on November 8.
The elections took place midway through the first term of Governor Robert Meyner. Eleven of New Jersey's 21 counties held regular elections for Senator. The Democratic Party gained Camden, Essex and Salem counties.
Incumbents not running for re-election[edit]
Democratic[edit]
- Bernard W. Vogel (Middlesex)
Republican[edit]
- James Cafiero (Cape May)
- Bruce A. Wallace (Camden)
Summary of results by county[edit]
| County | Incumbent | Party | Elected Senator | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic | Frank S. Farley | Rep | No election | |||
| Bergen | Walter H. Jones | Rep | No election | |||
| Burlington | Albert McCay | Rep | Albert McCay | Rep | ||
| Camden | Bruce A. Wallace | Rep | Joseph W. Cowgill | Dem | ||
| Cape May | Anthony Cafiero | Rep | Charles W. Sandman | Rep | ||
| Cumberland | W. Howard Sharp | Dem | No election | |||
| Essex | Mark Anton[a] | Rep | Donal C. Fox | Dem | ||
| Gloucester | Harold W. Hannold | Rep | Harold W. Hannold | Rep | ||
| Hudson | James F. Murray Jr. | Dem | No election | |||
| Hunterdon | Wesley Lance | Rep | No election | |||
| Mercer | Sido Ridolfi | Dem | No election | |||
| Middlesex | Bernard W. Vogel | Dem | John A. Lynch Sr. | 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 | Frank W. Shershin | Rep | No election | |||
| Salem | John M. Summerill Jr. | Rep | John A. Waddington | Dem | ||
| Somerset | Malcolm Forbes | Rep | Malcolm Forbes | Rep | ||
| Sussex | George B. Harper | Rep | No election | |||
| Union | Kenneth Hand | Rep | Kenneth Hand | Rep | ||
| Warren | Wayne Dumont | Rep | Wayne Dumont | Rep | ||
- ^ Anton succeeded Senator Alfred C. Clapp, who resigned in 1953 after he was appointed to the New Jersey Superior Court.
Close races[edit]
Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:
- Camden, 0.26% gain
- Somerset, 0.94%
- Essex, 3.35% gain
- Salem, 6.14% gain
- Warren, 8.00%
- Union, 9.33%
Burlington[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Albert McCay (incumbent) | 24,219 | 55.77% | ||
| Democratic | Edward J. Hulse | 19,206 | 44.23% | ||
| Total votes | 43,425 | 100.0% | |||
Camden[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joseph W. Cowgill | 54,683 | 50.02% | ||
| Republican | William G. Rohrer | 54,393 | 49.76% | ||
| Socialist Labor | Robert G. Howell | 240 | 0.22% | ||
| Total votes | 109,316 | 100.0% | |||
Cape May[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Charles W. Sandman | 12,747 | 73.82% | ||
| Democratic | William E. Sturm | 4,520 | 26.18% | ||
| Total votes | 17,267 | 100.0% | |||
Essex[edit]
Republican primary[edit]
Candidates[edit]
- Mark Anton, incumbent Senator since 1953 and founder of Suburban Propane Gas Company[2]
- William O. Barnes, Assemblyman from South Orange[2]
Campaign[edit]
Barnes challenged Anton and the county party establishment with a "Good Government" ticket that included four incumbent Assembly members.[2] They were defeated in a rancourous primary, and Barnes lost by about 3,222 votes.[2]
General election[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Donal C. Fox | 118,950 | 51.11% | ||
| Republican | Mark Anton (incumbent) | 111,141 | 47.76% | ||
| Independent | James R. Golden | 2,062 | 0.89% | ||
| Socialist Labor | Frank DeGeorge | 572 | 0.25% | ||
| Total votes | 232,725 | 100.0% | |||
Gloucester[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Harold W. Hannold (incumbent) | 20,658 | 56.75% | ||
| Democratic | Thomas F. Connery Jr. | 15,742 | 43.25% | ||
| Total votes | 36,400 | 100.0% | |||
Middlesex[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John A. Lynch | 68,385 | 64.07% | ||
| Republican | Joseph H. Edgar | 38,356 | 35.93% | ||
| Total votes | 106,741 | 100.0% | |||
Monmouth[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Richard R. Stout (incumbent) | 43,889 | 64.09% | ||
| Democratic | Thomas J. Smith | 24,588 | 35.91% | ||
| Total votes | 68,477 | 100.0% | |||
Salem[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John A. Waddington | 9,836 | 53.05% | ||
| Republican | John M. Summerill Jr. (incumbent) | 8,698 | 46.91% | ||
| Socialist Labor | Marvin Ronis | 6 | 0.03% | ||
| Total votes | 18,540 | 100.0% | |||
Somerset[edit]
General election[edit]
Candidates[edit]
- Malcolm Forbes, incumbent Senator since 1952 and publisher of Forbes magazine
- Charles W. Engelhard Jr., president of the Engelhard Corporation
Campaign[edit]
In a race later dubbed the "Battle of the Billionaires,"[3][4] Malcolm Forbes narrowly defeated Charles Engelhard.
The Democratic Party targeted Forbes in an effort to stave off a challenge to Governor Meyner in 1957. Forbes, who had already run for governor in 1953 and possessed a large fortune, was expected to be able to self-fund a serious challenge to Meyner. Thus, they recruited Engelhard, a wealthy industrialist who had been a major contributor to the Democratic Party.
Although state election disclosure laws at the time did not require candidates to report spending on their own behalf, some observers as of 2013 believed this to be the most expensive state legislative contest in history.[5] Engelhard spent freely to match Forbes. Forbes owned his own local newspaper, the Messenger Gazette, so Engelhard bought out the Somerville Star to serve as his campaign bulletin.[5] At one point during the campaign, Engelhard reportedly campaigned by sailing his yacht down the Raritan River wearing a white naval uniform.[5]
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Malcolm Forbes (incumbent) | 19,981 | 50.47% | ||
| Democratic | Charles W. Engelhard Jr. | 19,611 | 49.53% | ||
| Total votes | 39,592 | 100.0% | |||
Forbes survived a challenge and recount.[5] Engelhard reportedly felt the loss was a blessing in disguise, as it allowed him to focus his efforts on his vast industrial empire. He later became the inspiration for the James Bond villain Auric Goldfinger.[6]
Forbes ran for Governor in 1957 and secured the Republican nomination but lost to Meyner by over 200,000 votes.
Union[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Kenneth Hand (incumbent) | 67,290 | 54.10% | ||
| Democratic | Robert L. Sheldon | 55,689 | 44.77% | ||
| Independent | Harry Mopsick | 1,413 | 1.14% | ||
| Total votes | 124,392 | 100.0% | |||
Warren[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Wayne Dumont (incumbent) | 12,075 | 54.00% | ||
| Democratic | James C. Jamieson | 10,286 | 46.00% | ||
| Total votes | 22,361 | 100.0% | |||
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Results of the General Election Held November 8th, 1955" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State.
- ^ a b c d "Anton Beats Barnes in Essex Race". Courier-Post. Associated Press. 20 Apr 1955. p. 43. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ Wildstein, David. "Son of former Speaker dies". NewJerseyGlobe.com. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
- ^ Wildstein, David. "Somerset hasn't elected a Democratic state senator since 1902". NewJerseyGlobe.com. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
- ^ a b c d Donohue, Joe. "LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS 2013: BIG SPENDING, LITTLE CHANGE PLUS A HISTORY OF SELF-FINANCING BY LEGISLATORS AND OTHERS" (PDF). ELEC. State of New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
- ^ "Charles W. Engelhard Jr. Biography". allengelhard.com. Retrieved 11 July 2022.