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. , 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.

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.

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.

Close races
Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:
 * 1) District 35, 0.28%
 * 2) District 14, 3.06%
 * 3) District 22, 4.64%
 * 4) District 24, 5.24%
 * 5) District 38, 5.29%
 * 6) District 8, 5.64%
 * 7) District 23, 6.12%
 * 8) District 27, 6.18%
 * 9) District 6, 6.32%
 * 10) District 11, 8.10%
 * 11) District 25, 8.48%
 * 12) District 39, 8.58%
 * 13) District 9, 9.06%
 * 14) District 15, 9.98%

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.

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.

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.

Candidates

 * William E. Bowen, director of the Bridgeton Housing Authority and former City Councilman
 * James S. Cafiero, incumbent Senator

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.

Candidates

 * Irving A. Lilienfeld, Atlantic County Freeholder
 * F. Frederick Perone, former Atlantic City municipal judge

Candidates

 * Michael J. Matthews, Atlantic County Freeholder
 * Joseph McGahn, incumbent Senator

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.

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.

Candidates

 * Raymond Zane, Gloucester County Freeholder

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.

Declined

 * Frank Italiano, incumbent Senator

Candidates

 * John J. Horn, Assembly Minority Leader

Declined

 * James Florio, Assemblyman

Candidates

 * John L. Miller, incumbent Senator

Declined

 * William K. Dickey, Assemblyman from Collingswood

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Candidates

 * Eugene J. Bedell, incumbent Assemblyman

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.

Candidates

 * Joseph P. Merlino, incumbent Senator (District 6B)

Candidates

 * William Schluter, incumbent Senator (District 6A)

Candidates

 * Anne Clark Martindell, vice chair of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee

Candidates

 * Wayne Dumont Jr., incumbent Senator since 1968 (District 15)

Candidates

 * Martin F. Murphy, West Milford attorney

Candidates

 * Raymond Bateman, incumbent Senator since 1958 (District 8)

Candidates

 * Herbert Koransky

Candidates

 * Robert K. Harlig Jr.

Candidates

 * John Lynch, incumbent Senator since 1956 (District 7)

Candidates

 * Fuller H. Brooks

Candidates

 * Bernard J. Dwyer, Mayor of Edison

Candidates

 * Matthew E. Hawke

Candidates

 * John J. Fay Jr., incumbent Assemblyman

Candidates

 * Francis X. McDermott, incumbent Senator (District 9)

Candidates

 * Alexander J. Menza, incumbent Assemblyman

Candidates

 * William G. Palermo Jr.

Candidates

 * Thomas G. Dunn, incumbent Senator

Candidates

 * Jerome Epstein, incumbent Senator (District 9)
 * Peter McDonough, incumbent Assemblyman

Candidates

 * William Wright Jr.

Candidates

 * Josephine Margetts, incumbent Assemblywoman
 * Joseph F. Warganz

Candidates

 * Stephen B. Wiley, Morris Township attorney

Candidates

 * Peter W. Thomas, incumbent Senator (District 10)

Candidates

 * John C. Keefe

Candidates

 * James Wallwork, incumbent Senator (District 11)

Candidates

 * Donald S. Coburn
 * Joel Wasserman

Candidates

 * Salvatore Beninanti

Candidates

 * Frank J. Dodd, incumbent Senator (District 11)
 * Joseph A. Lazaro

Candidates

 * Michael A. Giuliano, incumbent Senator (District 11)

Candidates

 * Carmen Orechio, mayor of Nutley

Candidates

 * Joseph Galluzzi

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)

Candidates

 * Lillie Simpson

Candidates

 * Wynona Lipman, incumbent Senator (District 11)

Candidates

 * C. Richard Fiore, incumbent Assemblyman from Newark

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.

Candidates

 * Franco Di Domenica
 * Henry W. Kolakowski

Candidates

 * James P. Dugan, incumbent Senator (District 12)

Candidates

 * John P. Errico

Candidates

 * Michael J. Bell
 * Joseph W. Tumulty, Jersey City attorney

Declined

 * William F. Kelly Jr., incumbent Senator (District 12) since 1958

Candidates

 * Thomas McSherry

Candidates

 * Harry J. Leber
 * William V. Musto, incumbent Senator (District 12)

Candidates

 * Louise Friedman

Candidates

 * Joseph Hirkala, incumbent Senator (District 14)

Declined

 * William J. Bate, incumbent Senator (District 14) (ran for Assembly)

Candidates

 * Dominic Cuccinello
 * Michael U. DeVita, former mayor of Paterson (1948–51)
 * Joseph A. Lazzara, incumbent Senator (District 14)
 * Roy Leon Ward

Candidates

 * Frank Davenport, Passaic County Sheriff

Candidates

 * Harold A. Pareti

Declined

 * Harold Hollenbeck

Candidates

 * Anthony Scardino, mayor of Lyndhurst

Candidates

 * Joseph Woodcock, incumbent Senator (District 13)

Candidates

 * Matthew Feldman, Bergen County Democratic chairman and former Senator

Candidates

 * Frederick E. Wendel, incumbent Senator (District 13)

Candidates

 * John Skevin, former Assemblyman (1966–68)
 * Joseph Ventricelli

Candidates

 * Harry Randall Jr.

Candidates

 * Raymond Garramone, mayor of Haworth

Candidates

 * Garrett W. Hagedorn, incumbent Senator (District 13)

Candidates

 * Paul Z. Lewis

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.