New Jersey's 5th Congressional District election, 2016

2018 → ← 2014

New Jersey's 5th Congressional District

General Election Date November 8, 2016

Primary Date June 7, 2016

November 8 Election Winner: Josh Gottheimer

Incumbent prior to election: Scott Garrett

Race Ratings Cook Political Report: Toss-up Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss-up Rothenberg & Gonzales: Toss-up/Tilt D

New Jersey U.S. House Elections District 1 • District 2 • District 3 • District 4 • District 5 • District 6 • District 7 • District 8 • District 9 • District 10 • District 11 • District 12

2016 U.S. Senate Elections

2016 U.S. House Elections

The 5th Congressional District of New Jersey held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 8, 2016.

New Jersey's 5th Congressional District was a battleground district in 2016. Josh Gottheimer (D) defeated incumbent Scott Garrett (R) and Claudio Belusic (L) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Garrett defeated Michael Cino and Peter Vallorosi in the Republican primary on June 7, 2016. Gottheimer won the November 8 election, defeating incumbent Garrett.

Candidate Filing Deadline	Primary Election	General Election
April 4, 2016	June 7, 2016	November 8, 2016

Primary: A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. New Jersey utilizes a semi-closed primary process, in which the selection of a party's candidates in an election is generally limited to registered party members. Unaffiliated voters can register as party members at the polls on primary election day. Otherwise, a voter must indicate his or her party preference (e.g., via an updated voter registration) no later than the 55th day preceding the primary in order to vote in that party's primary.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Incumbent: Heading into the election, the incumbent was Scott Garrett (R), who was first elected in 2002.

New Jersey's 5th Congressional District is located in the northern portion of the state and includes much of the northern portions of Warren, Sussex, Passaic and Bergen counties.

Election results

General election

U.S. House, New Jersey District 5 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Josh Gottheimer	51.1%	172,587
	Republican	Scott Garrett Incumbent	46.7%	157,690
	Libertarian	Claudio Belusic	2.2%	7,424
Total Votes				337,701
Source: New Jersey Division of Elections

Primary election

U.S. House, New Jersey District 5 Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Scott Garrett Incumbent	82.2%	42,179
Michael Cino	9.5%	4,884
Peter Vallorosi	8.3%	4,252
Total Votes		51,315
Source: New Jersey Division of Elections

Candidates

General election candidates:

Josh Gottheimera
Scott Garrett
Claudio Belusic

Primary candidates:

Democratic

Josh Gottheimer a

Republican

Scott Garrett - Incumbent a
Michael Cino
Peter Vallorosi

Race background

Josh Gottheimer was one of the initial members of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Red to Blue Program. The program "highlights top Democratic campaigns across the country, and offers them financial, communications, grassroots, and strategic support."

Garrett's stance on gay marriage

Incumbent Scott Garrett lost a number of campaign donors following remarks he made in July 2015. Garrett said that he had not paid his dues to the National Republican Congressional Committee in the past because it recruited and supported gay candidates. Following the comments, Garrett lost the support of Goldman Sachs and the "Big Four" accounting firms.

In January 2016, Garrett responded to criticisms of his stance on gay marriage with a statement. He said, in part, "I’ve tried to stay above the fray by ignoring these salacious hit pieces, but it’s obvious that the Washington establishment is trying to distract from my work to revive the economy and hold the government accountable by portraying me as something I’m not. My colleagues and my constituents know that I am a devout man of faith, and therefore I support traditional marriage. But calling me names or implying that I have malice in my heart for any person or group of people is false and completely disingenuous." He also called the statements against him "partisan attacks on religious freedom."

Presidential preference

Scott Garrett

See also: Republicans and their declared positions on Donald Trump

On May 5, 2016, Garrett’s campaign manager Sarah Neibart said in a statement, “Congressman Garrett intends to support the Republican nominee.” She did not mention Donald Trump in the statement.

Endorsements

Scott Garrett (R)

• The Club for Growth

Josh Gottheimer (D)

• The National Association of Realtors - "Josh Gottheimer has a varied background of public service and private sector experience which will help make him a strong leader and voice for REALTORS® and homeowners. He has a solid knowledge of what it will take to responsibly reform the mortgage finance system to ensure affordable, long-term financing is available to homebuyers while protecting taxpayers."

Polls

New Jersey’s 5th District - Scott Garrett vs. Josh Gottheimer
Poll	Scott Garrett	Josh Gottheimer	Margin of Error	Sample Size
DCCC October 10, 2016	41%	47%	+/-4.3	527
Garin-Hart-Yang September 30-October 2, 2016	41%	48%	+/-5.0	401
DCCC / Gerstein, Bocian & Agne Strategies August, 2016	46%	44%	+/-N/A	400
DCCC August 2, 2016	44%	42%	+/-4.3	508
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Media

Scott Garrett

Support

" Your Wallet" - Garrett ad, released August 2016

Opposition

"Quotes" - House Majority PAC ad attacking Garrett for his stance on gays

Josh Gottheimer

"Jersey Values" - Gottheimer's first ad, released August 2016

"1st Responders" - Gottheimer campaign ad, released September 2016

"Garrett Tax" - Gottheimer campaign ad, released October 2016

"Desperate" - Gottheimer ad opposing Garrett, released October 2016

Campaign themes

Scott Garrett

“	Stopping Reckless Spending: Our federal government’s spending over the last several years has ballooned out of control. Our national debt stands at an all-time high of more than $17 trillion. Scott Garrett recognizes that every dollar Washington spends is a dollar first earned by taxpayers. Since first going to Congress, Scott has worked tirelessly to end irresponsible spending, allow Americans to keep more of their hard-earned money, and force the government to live within a budget, just like taxpayers do. Creating Jobs: A strong economy is a job-creating economy. When hard-working Americans are struggling to find work, it’s a sign our nation needs to get its economic house in order—and paralyzing small businesses with burdensome regulations isn’t the answer. Scott Garrett has worked consistently to advance economic growth and job creation, including ensuring America’s small businesses—the backbone of our economy—have the tools and resources they need to keep employees and create new jobs. Protecting Our Healthcare: Few things are as important as access to quality health care. Despite Washington bureaucrats’ promises, our health care system is ailing. Scott Garrett believes in health care that puts patients first, protects health care choices, safeguards the most vulnerable and encourages innovation to discover life-saving cures. Washington bureaucrats don’t know your health care history, and they shouldn’t be controlling your health care future. Defending Our Nation: The threats against our nation are real. Scott Garrett has worked to make sure our men and women in uniform have the tools they need to accomplish the mission of keeping America safe. He firmly believes that before any troops are sent into harm’s way, the mission must be clear, and he has led efforts to guarantee our nation’s military will not be sent into war without Congressional authorization. Serving Our Veterans: We owe our liberty to our veterans, and Scott Garrett believes our nation has a duty to ensure our veterans have the very best in care and support. Anything less is unacceptable. Scott led the New Jersey delegation in demanding answers to reports of systemic problems in the VA, and he is committed to serving our veterans, just as they have so honorably served our nation.	”
—Scott Garrett's campaign website, http://www.garrettforcongress.com/issues

Josh Gottheimer

“	Bringing New Businesses and Jobs to the District: From our property and local taxes, to our state and federal taxes, homeowners here pay some of the highest taxes in the nation. It’s part of the reason we’ve seen people and companies, small and large, packing up and leaving town, and taking good-paying jobs and their investment with them. In the last few years alone, we’ve lost part or all of Sony, Mercedes, and Hertz – as well as so many small and medium size businesses that have had to close up shop, too. Reducing Tax Rates, Cutting Regulations, & Repealing the Garrett Tax: When you add up our local, property, state, and federal taxes, one thing is clear: Our tax code is a mess and it’s crushing our residents and pushing dozens of businesses out of our state — taking jobs and dollars with them. We have the third highest corporate tax rate in the world; twice as many US companies have moved overseas to escape our high taxes in the last ten years than in the twenty years prior. Fixing Our Roads, Bridges, Tunnels and Trains: The American Society for Civil Engineers gives the US a D+ when it comes to our infrastructure. New Jersey would have an even poorer grade. One-third of New Jersey’s bridges are considered unsafe for travel, and driving on our deteriorating roads costs drivers an average of $1,951 a year. NJ Transit has the second-worst breakdown record in America and yet, the prices keep going up. Each year, the average commuter in our state spends $605 dollars fixing their cars from pothole damage and $861 dollars sitting in traffic. That’s time away from the dinner table with our families, and money out of our pockets. Civil Rights: As I learned growing up, we were all created in the image of God. I believe that everyone should be treated equally no matter what their background, race, sexual orientation, or station in life. We will only succeed as a nation if everyone is included and treated with respect and dignity. It’s what built America and allowed our economy and culture to flourish. I will fight to defend the hard-won victories enshrined in the Voting Rights Act. I will also work for prison reform for nonviolent offenders, an area with great bipartisan support. We waste massive amounts of money on strategies that make our communities less, not more, safe. Securing Medicare & Social Security: Our seniors shouldn’t have to worry that their Social Security checks, which they worked hard for, will always clear and that Medicare will be available to them. I promise to protect Social Security and Medicare for future generations and will oppose any attempt to privatize or cut the benefits of these essential programs. Instead, we should make our current programs more sustainable for future generations. Social Security and Medicare are the foundation of our retirement security; it should be a guarantee – not a gamble.	”
—Josh Gottheimer's campaign website, http://josh4congress.com/issues/

Campaign contributions

---

Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

---

Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

Josh Gottheimer

---

Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

Scott Garrett

---

Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

---

The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may not represent all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer, and campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

---

District history

2014

See also: New Jersey's 5th Congressional District elections, 2014

The 5th Congressional District of New Jersey held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Scott Garrett (R) defeated Roy Cho (D) and Mark Quick (For Americans) in the general election.

U.S. House, New Jersey District 5 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Scott Garrett Incumbent	55.4%	104,678
	Democratic	Roy Cho	43.3%	81,808
	For Americans	Mark Quick	1.3%	2,435
Total Votes				188,921
Source: New Jersey Division of Elections

2012

See also: New Jersey's 5th Congressional District elections, 2012

The 5th Congressional District of New Jersey held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012. Incumbent Scott Garrett (R) defeated Adam Gussen (D) and Patricia Alessandrini (G) in the general election.

U.S. House, New Jersey District 5 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Adam Gussen	42.7%	130,100
	Republican	Scott Garrett Incumbent	55%	167,501
	Green	Patricia Alessandrini	2.2%	6,770
Total Votes				304,371
Source: New Jersey Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

Important dates and deadlines

See also: New Jersey elections, 2016

The calendar below lists important dates for political candidates in New Jersey in 2016.

Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016
Deadline	Event type	Event description
April 4, 2016	Ballot access	Filing deadline for primary candidates
May 9, 2016	Campaign finance	29-day pre-primary report due
May 27, 2016	Campaign finance	11-day pre-primary report due
June 7, 2016	Election date	Primary election
June 7, 2016	Ballot access	Filing deadline for independent candidates
June 27, 2016	Campaign finance	20-day post-primary report due
October 11, 2016	Campaign finance	29-day pre-general report due
October 28, 2016	Campaign finance	11-day pre-general report due
November 8, 2016	Election date	General election
November 28, 2016	Campaign finance	20-day post-general report due
Sources: New Jersey Department of State, "Candidate Information," accessed November 25, 2015 New Jersey Campaign Financing and Lobbying Disclosure, "2016 Reporting Dates," accessed January 11, 2016

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey, 2016
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2016

Footnotes

Ballotpedia

About

Overview • What people are saying • Support Ballotpedia • Contact • Contribute • Job opportunities

---

Executive: Leslie Graves, Founder and CEO • Gwen Beattie, Chief Operating Officer

Communications: Alison Graves, Director of Communications • Carley Allensworth • Abigail Campbell • Frank Festa • Sarah Groat • Nathaniel Harwood • Dillon Redmond • Erica Shumaker
External Relations: Geoff Pallay, Director of External Relations • Ken Carbullido, Vice President of Election Product and Technology Strategy • Ashley Fleming • Thomas Mardik • Hannah Nelson
Operations: Meghann Olshefski, Director of Operations • Amanda Herbert • Mandy Morris • Caroline Presnell • Kelly Rindfleisch
Tech: Matt Latourelle, Director of Technology Operations • Ryan Burch • Kirsten Corrao • Beth Dellea • Travis Eden • Tate Kamish • Margaret Kearney • Eric Lotto • Joseph Sanchez • Mary Susmitha

Contributors: Scott Rasmussen

---

Editorial Content

Josh Altic, Director of Content • Daniel Anderson, Associate Director of Elections & Data • Cory Eucalitto, Associate Director of Features • Ryan Byrne, Managing Editor of Ballot Measures • Mandy McConnell, Managing Editor of News • Doug Kronaizl, Managing Editor of Local Expansion • Abbey Smith, Managing Editor of Elections • Janie Valentine, Managing Editor of Law • Joel Williams. Managing Editor of Events • Andrew Bahl • Jaclyn Beran • Marielle Bricker • Joseph Brusgard • Emma Burlingame • Kelly Coyle • Jon Dunn • Thomas Ellis • Nicole Fisher • Joseph Greaney • Thomas Grobben • Brianna Hosea • Molly Kehoe • Tyler King • Glorie Martinez • Norm Leahy, Senior Editor • Nathan Maxwell • Jimmy McAllister • Brandon McCauley • Ellie Mikus • Ellen Morrissey • Mackenzie Murphy • Kaley Platek • Samantha Post • Adam Powell • Annelise Reinwald • Ethan Rice • Spencer Richardson • Victoria Rose • Briana Ryan • Myj Saintyl • Maddy Salucka • Emma Soukup • Alexis Thacker • Mina Vogel • Samuel Wonacott • Trenton Woodcox

For information about public policy issues in the 2016 elections, see: Public policy in the 2016 elections!

[show]

New Jersey's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Cory Booker (D)

Andrew Kim (D)

Representatives

District 1

Donald Norcross (D)

District 2

Jeff Van Drew (R)

District 3

Herbert Conaway (D)

District 4

Chris Smith (R)

District 5

Josh Gottheimer (D)

District 6

Frank Pallone (D)

District 7

Thomas Kean (R)

District 8

Robert Menendez (D)

District 9

Nellie Pou (D)

District 10

LaMonica McIver (D)

District 11

Mikie Sherrill (D)

District 12

Bonnie Coleman (D)

Democratic Party (11)

Republican Party (3)