United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2000

United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2000

November 7, 2000
Nominee Al Gore George W. Bush Party Democratic Republican Home state Tennessee Texas Running mate Joe Lieberman Dick Cheney Electoral vote 15 0 Popular vote 1,788,850 1,284,173 Percentage 56.13% 40.29%
County Results   Gore—70-80%   Gore—60-70%   Gore—50-60%   Bush—50-60%   Bush — < 50%
President before election Bill Clinton Democratic Elected President George W. Bush Republican

Elections in New Jersey
Federal government Presidential elections 1788-89 1792 1796 1800 1804 1808 1812 1816 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 Primary elections Democratic 2004 2008 Republican 2008 2012 United States Senate elections 1982 1984 1988 1990 1994 1996 2000 2002 2006 2008 2012 2013 2014 Congressional elections 1798 2006 5th 13th 2008 7th 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 Special elections At-large, 1795 At-large, 1808 At-large, 1810 At-large, 1814 At-large, 1821 At-large, 1828 10th district, 2012
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In 2000, the United States presidential election in New Jersey, along with every U.S. state and Washington, D.C., took place on November 7, 2000. It was the 54th U.S. presidential election. The major party candidates were Democratic Vice President Al Gore of the incumbent administration and Republican Governor of Texas George W. Bush, son of the 41st U.S. president, George H. W. Bush. Owing to the indirect system of voting used in U.S. presidential elections, George W. Bush narrowly defeated Gore in Electoral College votes despite that Gore earned a higher percentage of the popular vote. Green Party candidate Ralph Nader, the only third-party candidate represented on most states' ballots, came in a distant third.

Although New Jersey had voted for Democrat Bill Clinton in the past two elections (1992 and 1996),^[1] it was considered a potential swing state in 2000 because pre-election polling data showed it to be a close race.^[2][3] Al Gore won 56% of NJ's popular vote, beating out George W. Bush by over a 16% margin, which guaranteed NJ's 15 slots in the Electoral College to the Democratic Party. Gore won 11 of NJ's 13 congressional districts, with the biggest margins of victory in Essex County and Hudson County where he won over 70% of the vote. Bush won seven counties with his biggest margins being just over 56% in Hunterdon County and Sussex County. Nader got over 4% of the vote in counties in the northwest of the state, while taking 3% statewide.^[4]

Polling

Results

Electors

Technically the voters of NJ cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. NJ is allocated 15 electors because it has 13 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 15 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 15 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for President and Vice President. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.

The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 18, 2000^[6] to cast their votes for President and Vice President. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.

The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All were pledged to and voted for Gore and Lieberman:^[7]

References

See also