2017 New Jersey Senate election

The 2017 New Jersey State Senate elections were held on November 7, 2017, to elect Senators for all 40 legislative districts across New Jersey. These elections coincided with the election of Governor Phil Murphy. The winners of this election would serve in the 218th New Jersey Legislature, with seats apportioned based on the 2010 United States census. The Democratic Party grew its majority in the Senate, with incumbent Senate President Steve Sweeney re-elected to the top leadership post. Republican Thomas Kean, Jr. continued to lead his party as Minority Leader. This was the first state Senate election cycle in 10 years where any party flipped a Senate seat.

Democrats briefly held 26 seats from January through December 2019 following the party switch of Dawn Addiego, resulting in the Democrats controlling the highest percentage of seats since 1977. However, a 2019 special election in District 1 reduced the Democrats back to 25 seats.

Summary of results
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center rowspan= 2 colspan=2| Parties !style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center colspan=4| Seats !style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center colspan=3| Popular vote
 * - bgcolor=#E9E9E9
 * align="center" | 2013
 * align="center" |2017
 * align="center" |+/−
 * align="center" |Strength
 * align="center" |Vote
 * align="center" |%
 * align="center" |Change
 * style="background-color:;" |
 * align="left" | Democratic Party
 * align="right" | 24
 * align="right" | 25
 * align="right" | 1
 * align="right" | 62.50%
 * align="right" | 1,185,420
 * align="right" | 59.5%
 * align="right" | +12.1%
 * style="background-color:;" |
 * align="left" | Republican Party
 * align="right" | 16
 * align="right" | 15
 * align="right" | 1
 * align="right" | 37.50%
 * align="right" | 802,418
 * align="right" | 40.3%
 * align="right" | −11.8%
 * style="background-color:;" |
 * align="left" | Green Party
 * align="right" | -
 * style="background-color:;" |
 * align="left" | Green Party
 * align="right" | -


 * align="right" | -
 * align="right" | -
 * align="right" | -
 * align="right" | 1,306
 * align="right" | 0.1%
 * align="right" | -
 * style="background-color:;" |
 * align="left" | Libertarian Party
 * align="right" | -
 * align="right" | -
 * align="right" | -
 * align="right" | -
 * align="right" | 574
 * align="right" | <0.1%
 * align="right" | −0.1%
 * style="background-color:;" |
 * align="left" | Independent
 * align="right" | -
 * align="right" | -
 * align="right" | -
 * align="right" | -
 * align="right" | 2,545
 * align="right" | 0.1%
 * align="right" | −0.4%
 * - bgcolor=CCCCCC
 * align="center" colspan="2" | Totals
 * align="center" | 40
 * align="center" | 40
 * align="center" | 0
 * align="center" | 100.0%
 * align="center" | 1,992,263
 * align="center" | 100.0%
 * align="center" | -
 * - bgcolor=E9E9E9
 * align="left" colspan=9|Source: Election Statistics – New Jersey Secretary of State (note: does not include blank, write-in and over/under votes)
 * }
 * align="left" colspan=9|Source: Election Statistics – New Jersey Secretary of State (note: does not include blank, write-in and over/under votes)
 * }
 * }

Democratic

 * Raymond Lesniak, District 20 (running for governor)

Republican

 * Diane Allen, District 7
 * Joe Kyrillos, District 13

In addition, four members who were elected in the prior election in 2013 had since left office: Donald Norcross (D-5th, resigned), Peter J. Barnes III (D-18th, resigned), Kevin J. O'Toole (R-40th, resigned), and Jim Whelan (D-2nd, died in office).

Close races
Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:
 * 1) Legislative District 16, 0.8%
 * 2) Legislative District 8, 4.4%
 * 3) Legislative District 25, 4.4%
 * 4) Legislative District 39, 6.5%
 * 5) Legislative District 2, 7% gain
 * 6) Legislative District 11, 7.2% gain
 * 7) Legislative District 21, 9.4%

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Jeff Van Drew, incumbent senator

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Mary Gruccio, Superintendent of Vineland Public Schools and former Cumberland County Freeholder
 * Results

Independents and third parties

 * Declared
 * Anthony Parisi Sanchez (independent), community activist and former Marine Corps reservist

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Polling


 * Results

District 2
Incumbent Democratic senator Jim Whelan declined to seek a fourth term, announcing his retirement on January 4, 2017. Whelan died in office on August 22.

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Colin Bell, former Atlantic County Freeholder and nominee for Assembly in 2015
 * Withdrawn
 * Vince Mazzeo, state assemblyman (running for re-election)
 * Results

Following the death of Whelan on August 22, 2017, Bell was unanimously selected to fill the remainder of his term by local Democratic committee members on September 5, and was sworn in on October 5.

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Chris A. Brown, state assemblyman
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Polling


 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Stephen M. Sweeney, incumbent senator
 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Fran Grenier, chairman of the Salem County Republican Party and former Woodstown Borough Councilman
 * Results

General election

 * Polling


 * Endorsements


 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Fred H. Madden, incumbent senator
 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Michael Pascetta
 * Results

Pascetta was not on the official list of candidates for the general election.

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Nilsa Cruz-Perez, incumbent senator
 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Keith Walker, nominee for Senate in 2011 and 2013
 * Results

Independents and third parties

 * Declared
 * Mohammad Kabir (independent)

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * James Beach, incumbent senator
 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Robert Shapiro
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

District 7
Citing health concerns, incumbent Republican senator Diane Allen declined to run for a seventh term, announcing her retirement on January 31, 2017.

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Rob Prisco, Riverside Township Committeeman and nominee for Assembly in 2015
 * Results

On June 13, Governor Chris Christie nominated Prisco to a worker's compensation judgeship, whom consequently would later drop out. Local Republican committee members selected Delanco Mayor John Browne as a replacement candidate on September 6.

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Troy Singleton, state assemblyman


 * Withdrawn
 * Cory Cottingham
 * Declined
 * Herb Conaway, state assemblyman (running for re-election)
 * Carol A. Murphy, director of policy and communication for Assemblywoman Gabriela Mosquera (running for Assembly)


 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Dawn Marie Addiego, incumbent senator
 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * George B. Youngkin
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Christopher J. Connors, incumbent senator
 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Brian Corley White, attorney
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * James W. Holzapfel, incumbent senator
 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Emma Mammano, mental health counselor
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Jennifer Beck, incumbent senator
 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Vin Gopal, businessman, nominee for Assembly in 2011, and former chairman of the Monmouth County Democratic Party (resigned upon declaration)
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Polling
 * Results
 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Art Haney, chairman of the Old Bridge Republican Party and former mayor of Old Bridge
 * Samuel D. Thompson, incumbent senator
 * Endorsements


 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * David Lande, attorney
 * Results

Independents and third parties

 * Declared
 * Kevin Antoine (independent), SUNY health professor

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

District 13
Incumbent Republican senator Joe Kyrillos announced that he would not run for a ninth term on October 25, 2016.

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Declan O'Scanlon, state assemblyman
 * Withdrawn
 * Amy Handlin, state assemblywoman (running for re-election)
 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Sean Byrnes, former Middletown Township Committeeman
 * Joshua Leinsdorf, former Princeton school board member and perennial candidate
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Linda R. Greenstein, incumbent senator
 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Bruce MacDonald, jewelry store owner
 * Ileana Schirmer, Hamilton Township (Mercer) Councilwoman
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Shirley Turner, incumbent senator
 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Lee Eric Newton
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Christopher Bateman, incumbent senator
 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Laurie Poppe, attorney, social worker, and nominee for Hillsborough Township Committee in 2015 and 2016
 * Withdrawn
 * Zenon Christodoulu, businessman
 * Declined
 * Andrew Koontz, Mercer County Freeholder
 * Liz Lempert, mayor of Princeton
 * Andrew Zwicker, state assemblyman (running for re-election)
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Polling
 * Results
 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Bill Irwin, Piscataway Board of Education President
 * Bob Smith, incumbent senator
 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Daryl J. Kipnis, attorney
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Patrick J. Diegnan, incumbent senator
 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Mark Csizmar, former East Brunswick Police officer and nominee for East Brunswick Township Council in 2016
 * Results

Csizmar was replaced on the ballot for the general election by Lewis Glogower, who was previously one of the nominees for the Assembly seat.

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Joe Vitale, incumbent senator
 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Arthur J. Rittenhouse Jr.
 * Results

Following the primary, Rittenhouse dropped out of the race on September 14.

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

District 20
Incumbent Democratic senator Raymond Lesniak declined to run for re-election and instead ran for governor.

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Joseph Cryan, Union County Sheriff, former state assemblyman, and former chairman of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee
 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Ashraf Hanna
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Thomas Kean Jr., incumbent senator
 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Jill LaZare, attorney and nominee for Assembly in 2013 and 2015
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Nicholas Scutari, incumbent senator
 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Joseph A. Bonilla
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Michael J. Doherty, incumbent senator
 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Christine Lui Chen, health care executive
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * William Hayden, NJDOT employee and vice president of the Skylands Tea Party
 * Steve Oroho, incumbent senator
 * Withdrawn
 * Gail Phoebus, state assemblywoman
 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Jennifer Hamilton, attorney


 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Anthony Bucco, incumbent senator
 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Lisa Bhimani, OB/GYN
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Joseph Pennacchio, incumbent senator
 * Declined
 * Tom Mastrangelo, Morris County Freeholder
 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Elliot Isibor, nominee for Assembly in 2011 and 2013
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Richard Codey, incumbent senator
 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Pasquale "Pat" Capozzoli, Caldwell Borough Councilman
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Ronald Rice, incumbent senator
 * Results

Republican primary
No Republicans filed.
 * Results

Independents and third parties

 * Declared
 * Troy Knight-Napper (Green)

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Teresa Ruiz, incumbent senator
 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Maria E. Lopez
 * Results

Independents and third parties

 * Declared
 * Pablo Olivera (One Nation Party), perennial candidate

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Robert Singer, incumbent senator
 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Amy Sara Cores, attorney
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Sandra Bolden Cunningham, incumbent senator
 * Declined
 * Angela V. McKnight, state assemblywoman (running for re-election)
 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Herminio Mendoza
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Nicholas Sacco, incumbent senator
 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Paul Castelli
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Brian P. Stack, incumbent senator
 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Beth Hamburger
 * Results

General election

 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Nia Gill, incumbent senator
 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Mahir Saleh
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Nellie Pou, incumbent senator
 * Haytham Younes, real estate investor and candidate for Paterson City Council in 2014
 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Marwan Sholakh
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Paul Sarlo, incumbent senator
 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Jeanine Ferrara
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Loretta Weinberg, incumbent senator
 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Eric P. Fisher
 * Modesto Romero
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Robert M. Gordon, incumbent senator
 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Kelly Langschultz, New Milford Borough Councilwoman


 * Declined
 * John Cosgrove, mayor of Fair Lawn
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Gerald Cardinale, incumbent senator
 * Withdrawn
 * John McCann, former Cresskill borough councilman
 * Results

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Linda Schwager, mayor of Oakland
 * Results

Independents and third parties

 * Declared
 * James Tosone (Libertarian)

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Results

District 40
Incumbent Republican senator Kevin J. O'Toole announced on January 15, 2016, that he would not run for re-election. On March 13, 2017, he was confirmed by the state senate to the board of commissioners of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. O'Toole, however, did not immediately resign to accept the position, staying for the time being in his Senate seat to "tie up loose ends." He officially resigned his seat on July 1.

Republican primary

 * Declared
 * Edward Buttimore, former investigator for the New Jersey Attorney General
 * Kristin Corrado, Passaic County Clerk
 * Paul DiGaetano, chairman of the Bergen County Republican Party and former state assemblyman (District 36)
 * Results

Following O'Toole's resignation, Corrado was selected without opposition by local Republican committee members to serve the remainder of his term on July 26, and was sworn in on October 5.

Democratic primary

 * Declared
 * Thomas Duch, Garfield City Manager
 * Results

General election

 * Endorsements


 * Polling
 * Results
 * Results