The 2014 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 4, 2014, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of New Jersey. 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 defeated Jeff Bell to win a first full term.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
- Cory Booker, incumbent U.S. Senator
Withdrew
- Antonio Sabas, candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2013 (ran as an independent)
Declined
- Rob Andrews, U.S. Representative and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2008
- Robert M. Gordon, state senator
- Patrick J. Kennedy, former U.S. Representative from Rhode Island
- Beth Mason, Hoboken City Councilwoman
- Bill Pascrell, U.S. Representative
- Ronald Rice, state senator
- Stephen M. Sweeney, president of the New Jersey Senate
Republican primary
2013 nominee Steve Lonegan announced in his concession speech that he would not run again for the seat in the 2014 race. The top-tier candidates for the Republican primary, Thomas Kean Jr. and Jay Webber also declined to run in early January 2014, leaving Jon Bramnick and Michael J. Doherty as the remaining candidates with established credentials and fundraising abilities able to start a United States Senate campaign. On January 9, 2014, Brian D. Goldberg, a West Orange resident and New Jersey businessman, announced that he would seek the Republican nomination. The following week, on January 17, 2014, both Bramnick and Doherty announced that they would not be running for United States Senate.
On January 27, 2014, Freehold Township businessman Richard J. "Rich" Pezzullo announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination. Pezzullo had previously run for the US Senate in 1996 as the Conservative Party candidate. On February 4, 2014, conservative political consultant Jeff Bell announced his bid for the nomination. Bell was the nominee for the Senate in 1978, having defeated incumbent senator Clifford Case in the Republican primary and was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination in 1982. Ramapo College professor Murray Sabrin, who ran for the Senate in 2000 and 2008, announced another run on February 13. Former FBI agent Robert Turkavage, who ran as an Independent candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2012, had declared his candidacy. However, he got stuck in a traffic jam when he attempted to turn in his petitions shortly before the deadline, and was forced to withdraw.
On March 4, Richard Pezzullo won the Union County Convention on the first ballot, going on to then win the line in Camden County and Republican stronghold Monmouth County. Opponent Brian Goldberg won the party lines in conventions in Ocean, Atlantic, Cumberland, Mercer, and Somerset Counties. Murray Sabrin won only the Middlesex line, and Jeffrey Bell made no convention appearances and contested no lines. Three candidates – Brian Goldberg, Richard Pezzullo and Murray Sabrin – claimed the Burlington county line, though only Goldberg claimed to have won the line. Goldberg was given the county line with no convention in Essex, Passaic, and Hudson Counties. Robert Turkavage won the convention in Hunterdon County, but the line transferred to Goldberg after Turkavage dropped out of the race.
Jeff Bell received significant support from the conservative American Principles Fund, who ran a direct mail operation that cost over $80,000, and the National Organization for Marriage, a conservative traditional marriage group, who paid for $6,000 of automated calling.
Candidates
Declared
- Jeff Bell, political consultant, nominee for this seat in 1978 and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1982
- Brian D. Goldberg, businessman
- Richard J. "Rich" Pezzullo, businessman and perennial candidate
- Murray Sabrin, professor at Ramapo College and perennial candidate
Withdrew
- Robert Turkavage, former FBI agent and Independent candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2012
Declined
- Jeffrey Chiesa, former U.S. senator
- Jack Ciattarelli, state assemblyman
- Roger Daley, former Middlesex County Freeholder, former judge on the New Jersey Superior Court and candidate for Middlesex County Freeholder in 2013
- Alieta Eck, former president of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, founder of the Zarephath Health Center and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2013
- Scott Garrett, U.S. Representative
- Jon Hanson, former chairman of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority
- Chris Isola, former Marine
- Thomas Kean Jr., Minority Leader of the New Jersey Senate and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2006
- Joe Kyrillos, state senator and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2012
- Susanne LaFrankie, former television news reporter
- Frank LoBiondo, U.S. Representative
- Steve Lonegan, state director of Americans for Prosperity, former mayor of Bogota, candidate for governor in 2005 and 2009 and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2013
- Bill Palatucci, attorney and member of the Republican National Committee
- Joe J. Plumeri, businessman
- Geraldo Rivera, talk show host
- David Samson, chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and former New Jersey Attorney General
- Jay Webber, state assemblyman
General election
Debates
- Complete video of debate, October 24, 2014
Results
By congressional district
Booker won seven of 12 congressional districts, including one that elected a Republican.