The 1982 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey were held on November 2, 1982, to determine who would represent the people of New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives. This election coincided with national elections for U.S. House and U.S. Senate. New Jersey had fourteen seats in the House, apportioned according to the 1980 United States census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms.
Overview 1982 United States House of Representatives elections in New JerseyPartyVotesPercentageCandidatesSeats+/–Democratic1,206,41656.21%1491Republican915,47242.66%1452Libertarian15,4130.72%140Citizens1,7400.08%20Constitution6510.03%10Socialist4360.02%10Socialist Labor3270.02%10Independents5,6350.26%70Totals2,146,090100.00%5414
Background
Following the 1980 United States census, the New Jersey Legislature had conducted decennial redistricting. The resulting map, which was considered heavily favorable to the Democratic Party and approved by Democratic governor Brendan Byrne just before he left office, was used for the 1982 elections. Although the seven Republican incumbents challenged the map in court (and would eventually succeed when the map was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of the United States in Karcher v. Daggett), the Democratic map was in effect for the 1982 elections.
The Republicans' lawsuit claimed the new map included several configurations which were "'outrageously designed expressly for political purposes.'' The new districts were dramatically less compact than their predecessors and more favorable to the Democratic Party, with two open districts favoring the Democrats, two districts pitting Republican incumbents against each other, and one district pitting a first-term Republican against a veteran member of Democratic Party leadership.
The hometowns of two Republican incumbents were combined in each of the fifth (Jim Courter of Hackettstown and Marge Roukema of Ridgewood) and twelfth districts (Millicent Fenwick of Bernardsville and Matt Rinaldo of Union) in an effort to create primary infighting. However, the potential primary challenges were avoided when Fenwick ran for the United States Senate and Rinaldo ran for the open seventh district, allowing Courter to run for the now-vacant twelfth district and avoid a competitive primary against Roukema.
Separately, Old Bridge, the hometown of first-term representative Chris Smith, was relocated to the third district, which was represented by longtime Democratic incumbent James J. Howard and was made considerably more Democratic. The new fourth district, which Smith had won against incumbent Frank Thompson in an upset in 1980 after Thompson was indicted on bribery charges, was dramatically more Democratic than its already-Democratic predecessor. Rather than challenge Howard, Smith opted to run for re-election in his own district.
District 1
Incumbent Democrat James Florio won. The district included Gloucester County and parts of Camden County.
Democratic primary
Candidates
James Florio, incumbent Representative since 1975
Results
Republican primary
Candidates
John A. Dramesi, retired U.S. Air Force colonel and former prisoner of war Scott L. Sibert, nominee for this district in 1980
Results
General election
Candidates
John A. Dramesi, retired U.S. Air Force colonel and former prisoner of war (Republican) James Florio, incumbent Representative since 1975 (Republican) Patrick J. McCann (Socialist Labor) Jerry Zeldin (Libertarian)
Results
District 2
Incumbent William J. Hughes won. This district, the largest in South Jersey, included all of Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and Salem counties and parts of Burlington and Ocean counties.
Democratic primary
Candidates
William J. Hughes, incumbent Representative since 1975
Results
Republican primary
Candidates
John J. Mahoney, teacher and candidate for this district in 1980
Results
General election
Candidates
John J. Mahoney, teacher and candidate for this district in 1980 (Republican) William J. Hughes, incumbent Representative since 1975 (Democratic)
Results
District 3
Incumbent Democrat James J. Howard won.
This district included parts of Monmouth, Middlesex, and Ocean counties.
Democratic primary
Candidates
James J. Howard, incumbent Representative since 1965
Results
Republican primary
Candidates
Marie Sheehan Muhler, assemblywoman from Marlboro and nominee for this district in 1980 I. Richard Feingold, Holmdel optometrist
Declined
Chris Smith, incumbent Representative from Old Bridge since 1981 (ran in 4th district)
Results
General election
Candidates
Lawrence D. Erickson (Socialist) Lee A. Gesner Jr. (Libertarian) Joseph B. Hawley (Independent) James J. Howard, incumbent Representative since 1965 (Democratic) John Kinnevy III (Citizens) Marie Sheehan Muhler, assemblywoman from Marlboro and nominee for this district in 1980 (Republican)
Results
District 4
Incumbent Republican Chris Smith won. This district, in Central Jersey, consisted of parts of Burlington, Camden, Mercer, Middlesex, and Monmouth counties.
Republican primary
Candidates
Chris Smith, incumbent Representative since 1981
Results
Democratic primary
Candidates
Joseph P. Merlino, former New Jersey Senate president and candidate for governor in 1981 Craig W. Yates, Edgewater Park millionaire industrialist and brother of Charles B. Yates
Results
General election
Candidates
Eugene Allan Creech (World Federalist) Bill Harris (Libertarian) Joseph P. Merlino, former president of the New Jersey Senate and candidate for governor in 1981 (Democratic) Paul B. Rizzo (Independent) Chris Smith, incumbent Representative since 1981 (Republican)
Results
District 5
Incumbent Marge Roukema won. This district included parts of Bergen, Passaic, and Sussex counties.
Background The 5th district was redrawn to pit Republican incumbents Jim Courter and Marge Roukema against each other. However, Courter opted to run in the 12th district, which had been vacated by Millicent Fenwick and Matt Rinaldo.
Republican primary
Candidates
Marge Roukema, incumbent Representative from Ridgewood since 1981 John Philip Scollo, Towaco attorney
Declined
Jim Courter, incumbent Representative from Hackettstown since 1979 (ran in 12th district)
Results
Democratic primary
Candidates
Fritz Cammerzell, real estate attorney Ray Rollinson, perennial candidate
Results
General election
Candidates
Fritz Cammerzell (Democratic) Marge Roukema, incumbent Representative from Ridgewood since 1981 (Republican) William J. Zelko Jr. (Libertarian)
Results
District 6
Incumbent Democrat Bernard J. Dwyer won. This district included parts of Middlesex and Union counties.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Bernard J. Dwyer, incumbent Representative from Edison since 1981
Results
Republican primary
Candidates
Bertram L. Buckler, candidate for New Jersey General Assembly in 1981
Results
General election
Candidates
Bernard Buckler, candidate for New Jersey General Assembly in 1981 (Republican) Bernard J. Dwyer, incumbent Representative from Edison since 1981 (Democratic) Charles M. Hart (Libertarian)
Results
District 7
Incumbent Matt Rinaldo won. This district included parts of Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Somerset, and Union counties.
Background The new "fishhook" design of the district connected disparate communities in Central Jersey including Elizabeth, Princeton and Marlboro. Adam K. Levin, the former New Jersey Director of Consumer Affairs and son of wealthy real estate developer and investor Philip J. Levin, had opposed Rinaldo in 1974 and lost by a large margin. To secure a winnable district in 1982, Levin donated enormous sums of money to Democratic candidates for the New Jersey legislature in 1981.
Although the new district did not have an incumbent, because Rinaldo's hometown of Union had been relocated to the 12th district, Rinaldo chose to run for re-election in the 7th, which included most of Union County, against Levin.
Republican primary
Candidates
Matt Rinaldo, incumbent Representative from Union since 1973
Results
Democratic primary
Candidates
Adam K. Levin, former New Jersey Director of Consumer Affairs and son of Philip J. Levin
Withdrew
Barbara Boggs Sigmund, Mercer County Freeholder and daughter of Hale Boggs and Lindy Boggs (ran for U.S. Senate)
Campaign Boggs Sigmund dropped out of the race just before the filing deadline, choosing instead to run in the crowded Democratic primary for United States Senate. She publicly stated that she had been pressured to switch races by a number of county leaders and Democratic incumbents Robert Roe, James Howard and Bill Hughes.
Results
General election
Candidates
Adam K. Levin, former New Jersey Director of Consumer Affairs and son of Philip J. Levin (Democratic) Matt Rinaldo, incumbent Representative from Union since 1973 (Republican) Donald B. Siano (Libertarian)
Campaign Rinaldo hired Roger Stone to serve as his campaign strategist.
Results
Aftermath Despite winning the new district, Rinaldo did not relocate from Union Township and kept both his home and district office there. Union Township was restored to the district in 1984, following the Supreme Court decision in Karcher v. Daggett.
District 8
Incumbent Robert Roe won. This district included parts of Bergen, Morris, and Passaic counties.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Robert A. Roe, incumbent Representative from Wayne since 1969
Results
Republican primary
Candidates
Norm Robertson, Passaic County Freeholder
Results
General election
Candidates
Sidney J. Pope (Libertarian) Norm Robertson, Passaic County Freeholder (Republican) Robert A. Roe, incumbent Representative from Wayne since 1969 (Democratic)
Results
District 9
Incumbent Democrat Bob Torricelli won. This district consisted of parts of Bergen County.
Republican primary
Candidates
Emil Bernard Harold Hollenbeck, incumbent Representative from East Rutherford since 1977
Results
Democratic primary
Candidates
Jacqueline Stovall, founding member of Bergen Blacks for Action in Politics and 1980 Democratic National Convention delegate Bob Torricelli, former aide to governor Brendan Byrne and advisor to the Jimmy Carter 1980 presidential campaign
Withdrew
Stephen M. Bunda, doctoral student, Bergen County political consultant, and candidate for this district in 1980
Results
General election
Candidates
Harold Hollenbeck, incumbent Representative from East Rutherford since 1977 (Republican) Robert Shapiro (Libertarian) Bob Torricelli, former aide to governor Brendan Byrne and advisor to the Jimmy Carter 1980 presidential campaign (Democratic)
Results
District 10
Incumbent Democrat Peter W. Rodino won. The district included parts of Essex, Hudson, and Union counties.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Alan Bowser, construction sales executive Peter W. Rodino, incumbent Representative since 1949
Results
Republican primary
Candidates
Timothy Lee Jr.
Results
General election
Candidates
Katharine Florentine (Libertarian) Christine Keno (The Unbossed Independent) Timothy Lee Jr. (Republican) Peter W. Rodino, incumbent Representative since 1949 (Democratic)
Results
District 11
Incumbent Democrat Joseph Minish won. This district consisted of parts of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, and Passaic counties.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Frank Askin, Rutgers Law School professor Joseph Minish, incumbent Representative from West Orange since 1963
Results
Republican primary
Candidates
Frank Bell, East Hanover engineer and candidate for House in 1978 Robert A. Davis