New Jersey Primary Facts and Figures

Compiled by the U.S. News & World Report library staff

Presidential Primary Winners

Democrats

• 1988: Michael Dukakis
• 1992: Bill Clinton
• 1996: Bill Clinton
• 2000: Al Gore
• 2004: John Kerry

Republicans

• 1988: George H.W. Bush (unopposed)
• 1992: George H.W. Bush
• 1996: Bob Dole
• 2000: George W. Bush
• 2004: George W. Bush (unopposed)

Sources: New Jersey Division of Elections, Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections

November 2007 General Election Voter Registration Data

• Registered voters: 4,797,345
• Democrats: 1,164,504
• Republicans: 874,457
• Unaffiliated: 2,756,759

Source: Associated Press

General Election Winners— 1988-2004

• 1988: George H.W. Bush
• 1992: Bill Clinton
• 1996: Bill Clinton
• 2000: Al Gore
• 2004: John Kerry

Sources: New Jersey Division of Elections, Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections

Exit Poll Demographics

2004 Election

Sex

• Male: 46%
• Female: 54%

Race

• White: 70%
• African-American: 14%
• Latino: 10%
• Asian: 4%

Age

• 18-29: 17%
• 30-44: 31%
• 45-59: 29%
• 60 and older: 23%

"Are you a white conservative Protestant?"

• Yes: 6%
• No: 94%

Source: CNN

3 Things You Didn't Know About New Jersey Primaries

1. New Jersey's primaries are "closed," meaning that only registered members of a political party may vote in its contest. Unaffiliated voters may choose a side on the day of the primary, but party switchers need to have already submitted their paperwork to be able to participate.

2. In 2007, New Jersey lawmakers moved the state's primary date from June to February in an effort to bring more attention to the state. Historically, New Jersey has held its primary on the first Tuesday in June, making it one of the last states to vote. Party nominees are typically set by the time residents vote. One exception was the Democratic primary of 1980, which Ted Kennedy won over the incumbent president, Jimmy Carter. However, the state's delegates were divided between the two based on the popular votes they received. Carter's share of New Jersey ballots proved to be enough to guarantee him the party's nomination.

3. In 1972, George McGovern defeated Hubert Humphrey in the race for New Jersey's Democratic delegates. On the same ballot, there was also a nonbinding primary for presidential preference, in which neither of the front-runners participated. The winner of this race was Shirley Chisholm, who won about two thirds of the vote to defeat former North Carolina Gov. Terry Sanford.

Sources:
Associated Press
Boston Globe
Cherry Hill Courier-Post
Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections
New York Times