1916 United States Senate election in New Jersey

1916 United States Senate election in New Jersey

← 1911 November 7, 1916 1922 →
 
Nominee Joseph S. Frelinghuysen Sr. James E. Martine
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 244,715 170,019
Percentage 55.99% 38.90%

County results
Martine:      40–50%      50–60%
Frelinghuysen:      50–60%      60–70%

Senator before election

James E. Martine
Democratic

Elected Senator

Joseph S. Frelinghuysen Sr.
Republican

The United States Senate election of 1916 in New Jersey was held on November 7, 1916.

Incumbent Democratic Senator James E. Martine ran for re-election to a second term in office, but was defeated by Republican State Senator Joseph S. Frelinghuysen Sr.

Primary elections were held on September 26.[1] Senator Martine defeated a challenge from John W. Wescott, the Attorney General of New Jersey and an ally of President Woodrow Wilson. The Republican nomination narrowly went to State Senator Joseph S. Frelinghuysen Sr. over former Governor Franklin Murphy.

This was the first popular election for United States Senator in New Jersey history, following the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. This was also the first of four straight elections to this seat in which the incumbent was defeated.

  1. ^ Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey. M.R. Dennis & Co. 1917. p. 288.