The 2017 New Jersey State Senate elections were held on November 7, 2017, to elect senators for all 40 legislative districts across New Jersey. These elections coincided with the election of Governor Phil Murphy. The winners of this election would serve in the 218th New Jersey Legislature, with seats apportioned based on the 2010 United States census. The Democratic Party grew its majority in the Senate, with incumbent Senate President Steve Sweeney re-elected to the top leadership post. Republican Thomas Kean, Jr. continued to lead his party as minority leader. This was the first state Senate election cycle in 10 years where any party flipped a Senate seat.
Democrats flipped the 7th and 11th districts, while Republicans flipped the 2nd. Democrats briefly held 26 seats from January through December 2019 following the party switch of Dawn Addiego, resulting in the Democrats controlling the highest percentage of seats since 1977. However, a 2019 special election in District 1 reduced the Democrats back to 25 seats.
Contents Summary of results • Incumbents not runningBy District: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 • 31 • 32 • 33 • 34 • 35 • 36 • 37 • 38 • 39 • 40 __NOTOC__
Summary of results + ↓ 25 15 Democratic Republican
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center rowspan= 2 colspan=2| Parties !style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center colspan=4| Seats !style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center colspan=3| Popular vote |- bgcolor=#E9E9E9 | align="center" | 2013 | align="center" |2017 | align="center" |+/− | align="center" |Strength | align="center" |Vote | align="center" |% | align="center" |Change |- | style="background-color:;" | | align="left" | Democratic Party | align="right" | 24 | align="right" | 25 | align="right" | 1 | align="right" | 62.50% | align="right" | 1,185,420 | align="right" | 59.5% | align="right" | +12.1% |- | style="background-color:;" | | align="left" | Republican Party | align="right" | 16 | align="right" | 15 | align="right" | 1 | align="right" | 37.50% | align="right" | 802,418 | align="right" | 40.3% | align="right" | −11.8% |- | style="background-color:;" | | align="left" | Green Party | align="right" | -
| align="right" | - | align="right" | - | align="right" | - | align="right" | 1,306 | align="right" | 0.1% | align="right" | - |- | style="background-color:;" | | align="left" | Libertarian Party | align="right" | - | align="right" | - | align="right" | - | align="right" | - | align="right" | 574 | align="right" | <0.1% | align="right" | −0.1% |- | style="background-color:;" | | align="left" | Independent | align="right" | - | align="right" | - | align="right" | - | align="right" | - | align="right" | 2,545 | align="right" | 0.1% | align="right" | −0.4% |- bgcolor=CCCCCC | align="center" colspan="2" | Totals | align="center" | 40 | align="center" | 40 | align="center" | 0 | align="center" | 100.0% | align="center" | 1,992,263 | align="center" | 100.0% | align="center" | - |- bgcolor=E9E9E9 | align="left" colspan=9|Source: Election Statistics – New Jersey Secretary of State (note: does not include blank, write-in and over/under votes)
Incumbents not seeking re-election
Democratic
Raymond Lesniak, District 20 (running for governor)
Republican
Diane Allen, District 7 Joe Kyrillos, District 13
In addition, four members who were elected in the prior election in 2013 had since left office: Donald Norcross (D-5th, resigned), Peter J. Barnes III (D-18th, resigned), Kevin J. O'Toole (R-40th, resigned), and Jim Whelan (D-2nd, died in office).
Summary of results by State Senate district District IncumbentPartyElected SenatorParty1st Legislative District rowspan="1" Jeff Van DrewDemJeff Van DrewDem2nd Legislative District rowspan="1" Colin BellDemChris A. BrownRep3rd Legislative District rowspan="1" Steve SweeneyDemSteve SweeneyDem4th Legislative District rowspan="1" Fred MaddenDemFred MaddenDem5th Legislative District rowspan="1" Nilsa Cruz-PerezDemNilsa Cruz-PerezDem6th Legislative District rowspan="1" James BeachDemJames BeachDem7th Legislative District rowspan="1" Diane AllenRepTroy SingletonDem8th Legislative District rowspan="1" Dawn AddiegoRepDawn AddiegoRep9th Legislative District rowspan="1" Christopher ConnorsRepChristopher ConnorsRep10th Legislative District rowspan="1" Jim HolzapfelRepJim HolzapfelRep11th Legislative District rowspan="1" Jennifer BeckRepVin GopalRep12th Legislative District rowspan="1" Samuel D. ThompsonRepSamuel D. ThompsonRep13th Legislative District rowspan="1" Joe KyrillosRepDeclan O'ScanlonRep14th Legislative District rowspan="1" Linda GreensteinDemLinda GreensteinDem15th Legislative District rowspan="1" Shirley TurnerDemShirley TurnerDem16th Legislative District rowspan="1" Kip BatemanRepKip BatemanRep17th Legislative District rowspan="1" Bob SmithDemBob SmithDem18th Legislative District rowspan="1" Patrick J. DiegnanDemPatrick J. DiegnanDem19th Legislative District rowspan="1" Joe VitaleDemJoe VitaleDem20th Legislative District rowspan="1" Raymond LesniakDemJoseph P. CryanDem21st Legislative District rowspan="1" Tom Kean Jr.RepTom Kean Jr.Rep22nd Legislative District rowspan="1" Nicholas ScutariDemNicholas ScutariDem23rd Legislative District rowspan="1" Michael DohertyRepMichael DohertyRep24th Legislative District rowspan="1" Steve OrohoRepSteve OrohoRep25th Legislative District rowspan="1" Anthony BuccoRepAnthony BuccoRep26th Legislative District rowspan="1" Joe PennacchioRepJoe PennacchioRep27th Legislative District rowspan="1" Richard CodeyDemRichard CodeyDem28th Legislative District rowspan="1" Ronald RiceDemRonald RiceDem29th Legislative District rowspan="1" Teresa RuizDemTeresa RuizDem30th Legislative District rowspan="1" Robert W. SingerRepRobert W. SingerRep31st Legislative District rowspan="1" Sandra Bolden CunninghamDemSandra Bolden CunninghamDem32nd Legislative District rowspan="1" Nicholas SaccoDemNicholas SaccoDem33rd Legislative District rowspan="1" Brian StackDemBrian StackDem34th Legislative District rowspan="1" Nia GillDemNia GillDem35th Legislative District rowspan="1" Nellie PouDemNellie PouDem36th Legislative District rowspan="1" Paul SarloDemPaul SarloDem37th Legislative District rowspan="1" Loretta WeinbergDemLoretta WeinbergDem38th Legislative District rowspan="1" Robert M. GordonDemRobert M. GordonDem39th Legislative District rowspan="1" Gerald CardinaleRepGerald CardinaleRep40th Legislative District rowspan="1" Kristin CorradoRepKristin CorradoRep
Close races Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:
gain gain
Results by district
District 1
Democratic primary Declared Jeff Van Drew, incumbent senator
Results
Republican primary Declared Mary Gruccio, auperintendent of Vineland Public Schools and former Cumberland County freeholder
Results
Independents and third parties Declared Anthony Parisi Sanchez (independent), community activist and former Marine Corps reservist
General election Endorsements
Polling Poll sourceDate(s) administeredSample sizeMargin of errorJeffVan Drew (D)MaryGruccio (R) Other UndecidedStockton UniversityStockton UniversitySeptember 13–18, 2017430 LV± 4.7%61%28%4%5%
Results
District 2
Incumbent Democratic senator Jim Whelan declined to seek a fourth term, announcing his retirement on January 4, 2017. Whelan died in office on August 22.
Democratic primary Declared Colin Bell, former Atlantic County freeholder and nominee for Assembly in 2015
Withdrawn Vince Mazzeo, state assemblyman (running for re-election)
Results
Following the death of Whelan on August 22, 2017, Bell was unanimously selected to fill the remainder of his term by local Democratic committee members on September 5, and was sworn in on October 5.
Republican primary Declared Chris A. Brown, state assemblyman Results
General election Endorsements
Polling Poll sourceDate(s) administeredSamplesizeMargin of errorColinBell (D)ChrisBrown (R) Other UndecidedStockton UniversityStockton UniversityOctober 26 – November 1, 2017530 LV± 4.3%43%46%1%8%Stockton UniversityStockton UniversitySeptember 23–28, 2017521 LV± 4.3%46.5%46.2%<1%5%
Results
District 3
Democratic primary Declared Stephen M. Sweeney, incumbent senator Results
Republican primary Declared Fran Grenier, chairman of the Salem County Republican Party and former Woodstown borough councilman Results
General election Polling Poll sourceDate(s) administeredSample sizeMargin of errorStephen M. Sweeney (D)Fran Grenier (R)Undecided Global Strategy Group October 9–12, 2017 402 LV ± 4.9% 48% 36% 14%Cygnal (R) October 9–11, 2017 402 LV ± 4.87% 42% 36% 22%Cygnal (R)September 19–20, 2017402 LV± 4.87% 48% 30% 22%
Endorsements
Results
District 4
Democratic primary Declared Fred H. Madden, incumbent senator Results
Republican primary Declared Michael Pascetta Results
Pascetta was not on the official list of candidates for the general election.
General election Endorsements
Results
District 5
Democratic primary Declared Nilsa Cruz-Perez, incumbent senator Results
Republican primary Declared Keith Walker, nominee for Senate in 2011 and 2013 Results
Independents and third parties Declared Mohammad Kabir (independent)
General election Endorsements
Results
District 6
Democratic primary Declared James Beach, incumbent senator Results
Republican primary Declared Robert Shapiro Results
General election Endorsements
Results
District 7
Citing health concerns, incumbent Republican senator Diane Allen declined to run for a seventh term, announcing her retirement on January 31, 2017.
Republican primary Declared Rob Prisco, Riverside Township committeeman and nominee for Assembly in 2015 Results
On June 13, Governor Chris Christie nominated Prisco to a worker's compensation judgeship, whom consequently would later drop out. Local Republican committee members selected Delanco Mayor John Browne as a replacement candidate on September 6.
Democratic primary Declared Troy Singleton, state assemblyman
Withdrawn Cory Cottingham Declined Herb Conaway, state assemblyman (running for re-election) Carol A. Murphy, director of policy and communication for Assemblywoman Gabriela Mosquera (running for Assembly)
Results
General election Endorsements
Results
District 8
Republican primary Declared Dawn Marie Addiego, incumbent senator Results
Democratic primary Declared George B. Youngkin Results
General election Endorsements
Results
District 9
Republican primary Declared Christopher J. Connors, incumbent senator Results
Democratic primary Declared Brian Corley White, attorney Results
General election Endorsements
Results
District 10
Republican primary Declared James W. Holzapfel, incumbent senator Results
Democratic primary Declared Emma Mammano, mental health counselor Results
General election Endorsements
Results
District 11
Republican primary Declared Jennifer Beck, incumbent senator Results
Democratic primary Declared Vin Gopal, businessman, nominee for Assembly in 2011, and former chairman of the Monmouth County Democratic Party (resigned upon declaration) Results
General election Endorsements
Polling Poll sourceDate(s) administeredSample sizeMargin of errorJennifer Beck (R)Vin Gopal (D)Greenberg Quinlan Rosner (D)Greenberg Quinlan Rosner (D)October 30 – November 1, 2017400 LV± 4.9%48%49%Greenberg Quinlan Rosner (D)Greenberg Quinlan Rosner (D)July 17–19, 2017400 LV± 4.9%52%41% Results
District 12
Republican primary Declared Art Haney, chairman of the Old Bridge Republican Party and former mayor of Old Bridge Samuel D. Thompson, incumbent senator Endorsements
Results
Democratic primary Declared David Lande, attorney Results
Independents and third parties Declared Kevin Antoine (independent), SUNY health professor
General election Endorsements
Results
District 13