1985 NJ Gubernatorial Election

The 1985 NJ Gubernatorial Election: the Largest Gubernatorial Landslide in NJ History, incumbent Governor Tom Kean Sr won all but 3 of NJ's 567 municipalities in his 40% victory over then Essex County Executive Peter Shapiro

With Kean Sr. enjoying immense popularity through the economic situation in 1985, a surplus, and Shapiro's fundraising issues the gubernatorial election was a foregone conclusion from the start

However, the big thing in this election was that Kean's landslide was so large that he ended up carrying the GOP to a 20 seat (50-30) majority in the NJ Assembly, with the GOP winning seats in the longtime Democratic stronghold of Hudson County.

In doing so, this election gave the GOP their first proper majority in the assembly since before the 1971 Elections.

However this election did not give the GOP a trifecta as the state Senate was not up, as such, the democrats retained a 6 seat (23-17) advantage heading into the 1987 off year Elections

In terms of Districts and Counties - Kean Sr swept them all, performing the worst in the Newark Based 29th LD (R+7.51%)/Newark Based 10th CD (R+18.26%), and best in the Western Morris/Northern Passaic based 26th LD (R+60.18%)/Morris based 11th CD (R+53.43%)

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