2005 United States gubernatorial elections

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2005 United States gubernatorial elections
Flag of the United States.svg
  2004 November 8, 2005 2006  

3 governorships
2 states; 1 territory
 Majority partyMinority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Seats before2822
Seats after2822
Seat changeSteady2.svgSteady2.svg
Seats up02
Seats won02

2005 United States gubernatorial elections results map.svg
Map of the results
     Democratic hold     Covenant gain
     No election

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 8, 2005, in the states of New Jersey and Virginia as well as in the U.S. commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Contents

Shortly before election day, U.S. President George W. Bush returned from a trip to Latin America to provide last-minute campaigning for Virginian gubernatorial candidate Jerry W. Kilgore. After the defeat of Kilgore and Doug Forrester in New Jersey, Democrats ascribed these victories to the President's decreasing popularity. Republicans then tried to downplay these Democratic triumphs as victories exclusive to those states and their candidates. Some speculate that these two elections were harbingers of the positive momentum around the Democratic Party, and it could be said that they had some positive effect on the landmark victories in the 2006 midterm elections and the 2008 presidential election for the party. Republicans, however, maintain that the Democrats' advantage in 2005 was due simply to the fact that they were the incumbent party.

This was the first election since 1987 that no seats switched parties in a gubernatorial election and the first time this occurred in this cycle of governorships since 1985.

Election predictions

Several sites and individuals publish predictions of competitive seats. These predictions look at factors such as the strength of the incumbent (if the incumbent is running for re-election), the strength of the candidates, and the partisan leanings of the state (reflected in part by the state's Cook Partisan Voting Index rating). The predictions assign ratings to each state, with the rating indicating the predicted advantage that a party has in winning that seat.

Most election predictors use:

StateIncumbent [1] Last
race
Sabato's Crystal Ball
Oct 25,
2005
[2]
Result
New Jersey Richard Codey (retired)56.4% D Likely D Corzinee
53.5% D
Virginia Mark Warner (term-limited)52.2% D Tossup Kaine
51.7% D

Race summary

States

StateIncumbentPartyFirst
elected
ResultCandidates
New Jersey Richard Codey Democratic2004 [lower-alpha 1] Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Democratic hold.
Virginia Mark Warner Democratic 2001 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Democratic hold.

Territory

TerritoryIncumbentPartyFirst
elected
ResultCandidates
Northern Mariana Islands Juan Babauta Republican 2001 Incumbent lost re-election.
New governor elected.
Covenant gain.

Closest races

States where the margin of victory was under 1%:

  1. Northern Mariana Islands, 0.6%

States where the margin of victory was under 10%:

  1. Virginia, 5.7%

Virginia

2005 Virginia gubernatorial election
Flag of Virginia.svg
  2001 November 8, 2005 2009  
Turnout45.0% Decrease2.svg 1.4 [3]
  Gov. Tim Kaine (cropped).jpg Jerry Kilgore (2004) (1).jpg
Nominee Tim Kaine Jerry Kilgore
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote1,025,942 912,327
Percentage51.7%46.0%

2005 Virginia gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County and independent city results
Kaine:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%
Kilgore:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

Governor before election

Mark Warner
Democratic

Elected Governor

Tim Kaine
Democratic

The 2005 Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2005 to elect the Governor of Virginia. The Democratic nominee, Lieutenant Governor Tim Kaine, the son-in-law to Linwood Holton, won the election. Virginia is the only state in the United States to prohibit governors from serving successive terms, meaning that the popular incumbent, Mark Warner, could not run for reelection.

While the previous Democratic Governor, Mark Warner, was credited with doing especially well for a Democrat in rural areas of the commonwealth, Kaine's win featured surprising triumphs in traditionally Republican areas such as Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and the Northern Virginia suburbs of Prince William County and Loudoun County, as well as impressive showings in Democratic strongholds such as Richmond and Norfolk. [4] This is the most recent election in which a Virginia governor and lieutenant governor of opposite parties were elected.

New Jersey

2005 New Jersey gubernatorial election
Flag of New Jersey.svg
  2001 November 8, 2005 2009  
  SenatorJonCorzine (cropped).jpg No image.svg
Nominee Jon Corzine Doug Forrester
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote1,224,551985,271
Percentage53.5%43.0%

2005 New Jersey gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County results
Corzine:      40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
Forrester:      50–60%     60–70%

Governor before election

Richard Codey
Democratic

Elected Governor

Jon Corzine
Democratic

The 2005 New Jersey gubernatorial election was a race to determine the Governor of New Jersey. It was held on November 8, 2005. Democratic Governor Richard Codey, who replaced Governor Jim McGreevey in 2004 after his resignation, did not run for election for a full term of office.

The primary election was held on June 7, 2005. U.S. Senator Jon Corzine won the Democratic nomination without serious opposition. Former West Windsor Mayor Doug Forrester received the Republican nomination with a plurality of 36%. Corzine defeated Forrester in the general election. New Jersey is reliably Democratic at the federal level, but this was the first time since 1977 in which Democrats won more than one consecutive gubernatorial election in the state. This was the first time since 1965 that a Democrat won a gubernatorial race without Ocean County, and the first since 1961 that they did so without Monmouth County.

The 2005 general election also saw a public referendum question on the ballot for the voters to decide whether to create a position of lieutenant governor, alter the state's order of succession, and whether the state's first lieutenant governor would be chosen in the subsequent gubernatorial election held in 2009. [5] [6] The question passed by a tally of 836,134 votes (56.1%) to 655,333 (43.9%). [7] As of 2022, this is the most recent time that Salem County voted for the Democratic candidate in a gubernatorial race.

Territories

Northern Marina Islands

2005 United States gubernatorial elections
Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands.svg
5 November 2005
Gubernatorial election
 2001
2009  
  Benigno Fitial 2009.jpg 3x4.svg
Candidate Benigno Fitial Heinz Hofschneider
Party Covenant Independent
Running mate Timothy Villagomez Diego Benavente
Popular vote3,7663,682
Percentage27.95%27.33%

  FEMA - 7324 - Photograph by Andrea Booher taken on 12-20-2002 in Northern Mariana Islands (cropped).jpg 3x4.svg
Candidate Juan Babauta Froilan Tenorio
Party Republican Democratic
Running mate David M. Apatang Antonio Santos
Popular vote3,5842,440
Percentage26.60%18.11%

Governor before election

Juan Babauta
Republican

Elected Governor

Benigno Fitial
Covenant

House election
  2003
2007  

All 18 seats in the House of Representatives
9 seats needed for a majority
PartySeats
Covenant 7
Republican 7
Democratic 2
Independents 2
Senate election
  2003
2007  

All 9 seats in the Senate
5 seats needed for a majority
PartySeats
Covenant 3
Republican 3
Democratic 2
Independents 1

Notes

  1. Codey took office after his predecessor (Jim McGreevey) resigned.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Codey</span> American politician (born 1946)

Richard James Codey is an American politician who served as the 53rd governor of New Jersey from 2004 to 2006. A member of the Democratic Party, he has served in the New Jersey Senate since 1982 and served as the President of the Senate from 2002 to 2010. He represents the 27th Legislative District, which covers the western portions of Essex County and the southeastern portion of Morris County. Codey is the longest-serving state legislator in New Jersey history, having served in the New Jersey Legislature continuously since January 8, 1974. He has served as the Deputy Senate President Pro Tem since 2022. In August 2023, Codey announced that he would not seek re-election and would retire from the state senate when his term ends in January 2024, having served for 50 years in the legislature.

John Orus Bennett III is an American former politician from New Jersey. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a state senator, and between 2002 and 2004, as president of the state senate. Bennett served as acting governor of New Jersey for four days in January 2002.

An acting governor is a person who acts in the role of governor. In Commonwealth jurisdictions where the governor is a vice-regal position, the role of "acting governor" may be filled by a lieutenant governor or an administrator.

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Douglas Robert Forrester is an American businessman and politician from New Jersey. He was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from New Jersey in 2002, and the Republican nominee for Governor of New Jersey in 2005. Forrester was defeated by his two Democratic opponents, Frank Lautenberg and then-U.S. Senator Jon Corzine, respectively. Forrester currently serves as the president of Integrity Health, a health benefits management firm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 Virginia gubernatorial election</span> Election for the governorship of the U.S. state of Virginia

The 2005 Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2005 to elect the Governor of Virginia. The Democratic nominee, Lieutenant Governor Tim Kaine, the son-in-law to Linwood Holton, won the election. Virginia is the only state in the United States to prohibit governors from serving successive terms, meaning that the popular incumbent, Mark Warner, could not run for reelection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 New Jersey gubernatorial election</span>

The 2005 New Jersey gubernatorial election was a race to determine the Governor of New Jersey. It was held on November 8, 2005. Democratic Governor Richard Codey, who replaced Governor Jim McGreevey in 2004 after his resignation, did not run for election for a full term of office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 United States elections</span>

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The lieutenant governor of New Jersey is an elected constitutional officer in the executive branch of the state government of New Jersey in the United States. The lieutenant governor is the second highest-ranking official in the state government and is elected concurrently on a ticket with the governor for a four-year term. The position itself does not carry any powers or duties other than to be next in the order of succession, but the state constitution requires that the lieutenant governor also be appointed to serve as the head of a cabinet-level department or administrative agency within the governor's administration, other than the position of Attorney General.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2001 United States gubernatorial elections</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2001 New Jersey gubernatorial election</span>

The 2001 New Jersey gubernatorial election was a race for the Governor of New Jersey. It was held on November 6, 2001. Primaries took place on June 25. Democratic nominee Jim McGreevey won the general election with 56% of the vote — the first majority-elected governor since James Florio in 1989. His Republican opponent in that race was Bret Schundler.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 New Jersey elections</span>

Persons 18 years or older on the general election date were eligible to register and vote in the general election. The following offices were up for election in the United States State of New Jersey in the general election on November 3, 2009:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elections in Virginia</span>

Elections in Virginia are authorized under Article I of the Virginia State Constitution, sections 5–6, and Article V which establishes elections for the state level officers, cabinet, and legislature. Article VII section 4 establishes the election of county-level officers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 United States gubernatorial elections</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 United States gubernatorial elections</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States gubernatorial elections</span>

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 3, 2020, in 11 states and two territories. The previous gubernatorial elections for this group of states took place in 2016, except in New Hampshire and Vermont where governors only serve two-year terms. These two states elected their current governors in 2018. Nine state governors ran for reelection and all nine won, while Democrat Steve Bullock of Montana could not run again due to term limits and Republican Gary Herbert of Utah decided to retire at the end of his term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 United States gubernatorial elections</span>

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 2, 2021, in two states, New Jersey and Virginia, and a recall election was held in California on September 14. These elections form part of the 2021 United States elections. The last gubernatorial elections for New Jersey and Virginia were in 2017, and the last regular gubernatorial election for California was in 2018. Going into the elections, all three seats were held by Democrats.

References

  1. Parentheses around an incumbent's name indicates that the incumbent is retiring, possibly due to term limits.
  2. "The 2005 Off-Off-Year Elections: Hardfast Harbinger or Harmless Happenstance?| Sabato's Crystal Ball".
  3. Virginia Department of Elections (2016). "Registration/Turnout Statistics". The Commonwealth of Virginia. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  4. Shear, Michael D. (October 18, 2005). "Kaine Sounds Slow-Growth Note in Exurbs". Washington Post.
  5. Mansnerus, Laura. "On Politics: The Advantage of Having A Lieutenant Governor" in The New York Times (March 27, 2005). Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  6. New Jersey State Legislature. Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 2 (SCR2): "A Concurrent Resolution proposing to amend Articles II, IV, V, and XI of the Constitution of the State of New Jersey" Archived 2013-09-21 at the Wayback Machine (2004) and Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 100 (ACR100): "A Concurrent Resolution proposing to amend Articles II, IV, V and XI of the Constitution of the State of New Jersey" Archived 2013-09-21 at the Wayback Machine (2005). Retrieved 30 August 2013. Note that The New Jersey State Legislature doesn't provide distinct web addresses for its transactions on specific bills, however, at http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/BillView.asp Archived 2013-09-13 at the Wayback Machine click on "Bills 2004–2005" and search for ACR100 and SCR2 for these bills, vote tallies and historical information regarding their passage.
  7. New Jersey Division of Elections (New Jersey Department of State). "Official List Ballot Questions Tally For November 2005 General Election" Archived 2013-11-12 at the Wayback Machine (certified 16 December 2005). Retrieved 30 August 2013.

See also