Special elections in N.J. congressional races

As primary voters begin the process today of filling Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s old House seat in New Jersey’s 11th district, the last time New Jersey held a special winter congressional primary was on January 24, 1950, after seven-term Rep. J. Parnell Thomas (R-Allendale) resigned following a guilty plea to charges that he took kickbacks from his congressional staffers.

Harry Harper, aka “Hackensack Harry,” a former New York Yankees pitcher, resigned as state Labor Commissioner to run.  Much of the Bergen GOP leadership backed Harper.

Primary day saw light rain, and the temperature was in the high 40s; nearly 6,000 more Republicans turned out in January than in the April primary.

In an upset, Harper lost the primary by 402 votes (50%-49%) to Assemblyman William Widnall (R-Ridgewood).  Widnall held the seat until he lost in the 1974 Watergate landslide.  This is the seat now held by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Tenafly).

New Jersey went 54 years without a free-standing special election for the U.S. House of Representatives.  After the race for Thomas’ seat, the next special election not held on a regularly scheduled Election Day was in 2024, following the death of Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-Newark).  Democrat LaMonica McIver (D-Newark), a city councilwoman from Newark’s Central Ward, won the July special Democratic primary and the September special election.

Other special elections were held in November on the same day as the general election: Donald Norcross (D-Camden) in 2014 to replace Rob Andrews (D-Bellmawr); Payne, Jr. in 2012 to replace his father, Donald Payne, Sr. (D-Newark); Albio Sires (D-West New York) in 2006 to replace Bob Menendez (D-Union City); Andrews in 1990 to replace Jim Florio (D-Runnemede); Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-Long Branch) in 1988 to replace James Howard (D-Wall); Jim Saxton (R-Bordentown) in 1984 to replace Edwin Forsythe (R-Moorestown); Forsythe in 1970 to replace William Cahill (R-Collingswood); Robert Roe (D-Wayne) in 1969 to replace Charles Joelson (D-Paterson); Milton Glenn (R-Margate) in 1957 to replace Millet Hand (R-Lower Township); and Harrison Williams (D-Plainfield) in 1953 to replace Clifford Case (R-Rahway).