United States Senate election in New Jersey, 1982

United States Senate election in New Jersey, 1982

November 2, 1982

Nominee Frank Lautenberg Millicent Fenwick Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,117,549 1,047,626 Percentage 50.94% 47.75%

U.S. senator before election Frank Lautenberg Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg Democratic

The 1982 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 2, 1982. Democrat Frank Lautenberg won for the seat held by retiring incumbent Republican Senator Nicholas Brady. Mr. Lautenberg won the seat with a margin of 3.19%.

Candidates

Democratic

• Frank Lautenberg, financial executive

Republican

• Millicent Fenwick, U.S. Congresswoman from New Jersey's 5th congressional district
• Jeff Bell, political consultant and nominee for U.S. Senate in 1978

General election campaign

The seat had been occupied by Democrat Harrison A. Williams, who resigned on March 11, 1982, after being implicated in the Abscam scandal. After Williams' resignation, Republican Governor Thomas Kean appointed Republican Nicholas F. Brady to the seat. Brady served in the Senate through the primary and general elections but did not run for the seat himself. In the general election, Lautenberg faced popular Republican congresswoman Millicent Fenwick. She ran on a very progressive platform and polls in the Summer of 1982 put her ahead by 18 points. Even Lautenberg quipped that she was "the most popular candidate in the country." Lautenberg spent more of his own money, eventually out-spending Fenwick two-to-one. He emphasised President Reagan's unpopularity, reminded the voters that she would be a vote for a Republican majority in the Senate and called Fenwick, who was 72, "eccentric" and "erratic" but denied that he was referring to her age. He did however point out that she would be almost 80 at the end of her first term and was therefore unlikely to gain much seniority in the Senate. Lautenberg won by 51% to 48%, in what was considered a major upset. Brady, who had just a few days left in his appointed term, resigned on December 27, 1982, allowing Lautenberg to take office several days before the traditional swearing-in of senators, which gave him an edge in seniority over the other freshman senators.

Results

General election results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Frank Lautenberg	1,117,549	50.94%
	Republican	Millicent Fenwick	1,047,626	47.75%
	Libertarian	Henry Koch	9,934	0.45%
	Socialist Labor	Julius Levin	5,580	0.25%
	Independent	Martin E. Wendelken	4,745	0.22%
	Socialist Workers	Claire Moriarty	3,726	0.17%
	Grassroots	Robert T. Bastien	2.955	0.14%