2001 NJ Gubernatorial Election

The 2001 NJ Gubernatorial Election, A Contrast between 1997 Gubernatorial Runner up and Woodbridge mayor, Jim McGreevey and Conservative Republican mayor of Jersey city Bret Schundler.

The 2001 elections from the beggining were not shaping up to be good ones for the New Jersey Republican party as after the resignation of Governor Christine Todd Whitman to head the Environmental Protection Agency, everything went downhill.

It Started with the fall of Acting Governor / Senate President Donald DiFrancesco, who tried to run to succeed himself, but his one year gov term saw him suffer multiple ethics scandals.

It was discovered he had dished favorable state jobs and contracts family & friends, he had conflicts of interest due to being a municipal lawyer for Scotch Plains, & he had to abandon his choice for treasurer as she had used her employer's expense accounts for personal travel.

The party then tried to replace him on the ballot with 2000 Senate runner up Bob Franks, but it was all for naught, as Bret Schundler won the primary in a confortable 57-43%.

Schundler's victory had caused McGreevey to switch from campaining against Trenton and Machine politicians (of which DiFrancesco was one) to campaining against Republican extremism, a poignant message agaisnt the Staunch Conservative GOP nominee

He hit Schundler on his opposition to abortion and a prohibition on a concealed carry law, to which Schundler ineffectively tried to deflect saying that he wouldn't touch NJ's laws.

Schundler also campaigned on school choice (An anathema to NJ voters), a program that he had tried to implement in Jersey City that had been repeatedly blocked by Republicans, most of whom were supported by the Teacher's Unions.

It was likely because of this, and his general conservatism, that a sizable chunk of NJ Republicans (including Acting Governor DiFrancesco) pointedly said that they would not endorse Schundler - and many actually said that they prefered McGreevey as 'a man they could work with'.

All of this resulted in McGreevey wining 56-42%, nearly identical to Gore's margin the year prior.

He performed incredibly well in most of the state, winning every county south of Mercer and Middlesex, whilst only underperforming in Jersey City, Hudson due to it being Schundler's home base.

In terms of Congressional Districts, McGreevey won 11/13 to Schundler's 2/13, in terms of Legislative districts McGreevey won 31/40 to Schundler's 9/40, and in terms of counties McGreevey won 17/21 to Schundler's 4/21.

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