11/06/2007
The 2007 state elections held on Tuesday, Nov. 6, in New Jersey resulted in little change in the overall makeup of the Legislature, as Democrats remained in control. In the state Senate, the Democratic Party picked up one seat and currently holds a majority with a count of 23-17. In the General Assembly, Republicans were able to pick up two seats, but still remain in the minority with a tally of 48-32. The results of these elections generally reveal that New Jersey voters still primarily vote Democratic, but they are increasingly demonstrating a desire for fiscal responsibility from legislators within the state. Voters also rejected two of the four ballot questions, on stem cell research and property tax relief, for the first time since 1994. The results of the races and makeup of the Legislature could have a profound impact on the 2008 Congressional races.
We worked extensively to educate members and non-members about the pro-small-business candidates in their districts. Sending a variety of communications to the small-business community, we showed our support for candidates not based on their party affiliations, but based on who would protect small-business interests. Our voter education and get-out-the-vote drives proved successful, as two NFIB-endorsed candidates scored major victories in Senate races. Sean Kean won in District 11, and Jennifer Beck attained the biggest win of the day with an upset of incumbent Ellen Karcher in District 12. The race went down to the wire, but Beck ended up winning handedly with 54 percent of the votes.
Overall, NFIB/New Jersey-endorsed candidates did extremely well. As mentioned, our political support was based solely on each candidate’s position and record on small-business issues. In the Senate races, the NFIB/New Jersey SAFE Trust endorsed 17 candidates, and 14 of those won, giving us an endorsed-candidate winning record of 82 percent. The only losses occurred in Districts 2 (James McCullough), 8 (Francis Bodine), and 38 (Robert Colletti). In the General Assembly, we fared even better: of the 25 candidates endorsed by NFIB/New Jersey, all 25 won, giving us an impressive 100 percent winning record.
