2020 United States Senate election in New Jersey

The 2020 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of New Jersey. It was held concurrently with the 2020 United States presidential election, as well as various other elections. The primary elections were moved from June 2, 2020, to July 7, 2020, due to COVID-19 pandemic concerns. 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 won a second full term against Republican Rik Mehta, narrowly winning Morris County, which no Democratic Senate candidate had carried since 1984 when Senator Bill Bradley swept every county. Booker also received the most votes (2,541,239) in a statewide non-presidential election in New Jersey history.

Nominee

 * Cory Booker, incumbent U.S. senator and former candidate for President of the United States in 2020

Eliminated in primary

 * Lawrence "Larry" Hamm, chairman of the People's Organization for Progress

Withdrew

 * Lisa McCormick, activist and candidate for Senate in 2018 (ran for Congress in New Jersey's 12th congressional district)
 * Harsh Naik

Declined

 * Josh Gottheimer, incumbent U.S. representative for New Jersey's 5th congressional district (ran for re-election)
 * Donald Norcross, incumbent U.S. representative for New Jersey's 1st congressional district (ran for re-election)

Results
[[File:New Jersey U.S. Senate Democratic primary, 2020.svg|225px|thumb|Results by county: Booker

{{legend|#002b84|Booker—>90%}}

{{legend|#0645b4|Booker—80-90%}}

{{legend|#1666cb|Booker—70-80%}} ]]

Nominee

 * Rikin "Rik" Mehta, pharmaceutical executive and attorney

Eliminated in primary

 * Eugene Anagnos, retired teacher
 * Tricia Flanagan, healthcare policy expert, biotech consultant, Independent candidate for U.S. Senate in 2018
 * Natalie Lynn Rivera, activist, Independent candidate for U.S. Senate in 2018
 * Hirsh Singh, engineer, candidate for Governor of New Jersey in 2017, and candidate for New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in 2018

Withdrawn

 * Navodaya Garepalli
 * Stuart Meissner, former New York Assistant Attorney General and Manhattan Assistant District Attorney, SEC Whistleblower Attorney, and Independent candidate for U.S. Senate in 2013
 * Gary Rich, former Monmouth County freeholder

Declined

 * Matt Rooney, attorney and political pundit

Results
[[File:New Jersey U.S. Senate Republican primary, 2020.svg|225px|thumb|Results by county: {{legend|#e27f90|Mehta}}

{{legend|#cc2f4a|60–70%}}

{{legend|#e27f90|50–60%}}

{{legend|#f2b3be|40–50%}}

{{legend|#ffccd0|<40%}} {{legend|#ff9955|Singh}}

{{legend|#ff6600|70–80%}}

{{legend|#ff7f2a|60–70%}}

{{legend|#ffccaa|<40%}} {{legend|#5fd35f|Flanagan}}

{{legend|#afe9af|Flanagan—<40%}} ]]

Nominee

 * Madelyn R. Hoffman, peace activist, 2018 U.S. Senate candidate, 1997 Green Party gubernatorial candidate, and 1996 Green Party Candidate for Vice President

Nominee

 * Daniel Burke

Nominee

 * Veronica Fernandez

Declared

 * Luis Vergara (as a write-in candidate)

Polling

 * with Hirsh Singh


 * on whether or not respondents would vote to reelect Cory Booker

Results
The election was not close, with Booker winning re-election by 16.31%. Key to Booker's landslide victory were heavily populated areas such as Hackensack, Newark, and Trenton. Mehta did well in Ocean County, which is a Republican stronghold, as well as many rural areas of the state. Booker received 2,541,239 votes. Booker was sworn in for a second term on January 3, 2021. His term will expire on January 3, 2027.

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

 * Morris (largest municipality: Parsippany)
 * Somerset (largest municipality: Franklin Township)

By congressional district
Booker won 9 out of the 12 congressional districts in New Jersey, and Mehta won the other 3, including one that elected a Democrat.