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Jim Johnson (New Jersey)
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Jim Johnson was a 2017 Democratic candidate for Governor of New Jersey. He was defeated in the primary election on June 6, 2017.
Biography
A native of Montclair, NJ, Johnson earned his bachelor's and law degrees from Harvard University. After graduating from law school, Johnson worked as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York. During the Clinton Administration, Johnson held a series of posts within the Treasury Department, including Under Secretary of the Treasury for Enforcement. After 2001, Johnson left office and joined the law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton as a partner. Johnson has served as co-chair of the National Church Arson Task Force and as chair of the Brennan Center for Justice and the New Jersey Advisory Committee on Police Standards.[1]
Education
- B.A. - Harvard University
- J.D. - Harvard University
Elections
2017
See also: New Jersey gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2017
New Jersey held an election for governor and lieutenant governor on November 7, 2017. Governor Chris Christie (R) was term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election. New Jersey elects its governor and lieutenant governor together on a joint ticket.
The general election took place on November 7, 2017. The primary election was held on June 6, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in the primary election was April 3, 2017.
The following candidates ran in the election for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey.[2]
| New Jersey Gubernatorial and Lieutenant Gubernatorial Election, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Phil Murphy/Sheila Oliver |
56.03% | 1,203,110 | |
| Republican | Kim Guadagno/Carlos Rendo | 41.89% | 899,583 | |
| Independent | Gina Genovese/Derel Stroud | 0.57% | 12,294 | |
| Libertarian | Peter Rohrman/Karese Laguerre | 0.49% | 10,531 | |
| Green | Seth Kaper-Dale/Lisa Durden | 0.47% | 10,053 | |
| Constitution | Matt Riccardi | 0.32% | 6,864 | |
| Independent | Vincent Ross/April Johnson | 0.23% | 4,980 | |
| Total Votes (6385/6385 precincts reporting) | 2,147,415 | |||
| Source: New Jersey Division of Elections | ||||
Kim Guadagno defeated Jack Ciattarelli, Hirsh Singh, Joseph Rudy Rullo, and Steve Rogers in the Republican primary.[3]
| New Jersey Republican Gubernatorial Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Kim Guadagno |
46.82% | 113,846 |
| Jack Ciattarelli | 31.08% | 75,556 |
| Hirsh Singh | 9.76% | 23,728 |
| Joseph Rudy Rullo | 6.51% | 15,816 |
| Steve Rogers | 5.84% | 14,187 |
| Total Votes | 243,133 | |
| Source: New Jersey Division of Elections | ||
Phil Murphy defeated Jim Johnson, John Wisniewski, Ray Lesniak, Bill Brennan, and Mark Zinna in the Democratic primary.[3]
| New Jersey Democratic Gubernatorial Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Phil Murphy |
48.42% | 243,643 |
| Jim Johnson | 21.91% | 110,250 |
| John Wisniewski | 21.57% | 108,532 |
| Ray Lesniak | 4.83% | 24,318 |
| Bill Brennan | 2.24% | 11,263 |
| Mark Zinna | 1.04% | 5,213 |
| Total Votes | 503,219 | |
| Source: New Jersey Division of Elections | ||
Campaign themes
Johnson's website highlighted his background and experience:
| “ |
During the Clinton Administration, Jim served in several senior positions within the U.S. Department of the Treasury. He started as an Assistant Secretary and President Clinton asked him to co-chair the National Church Arson Task Force. Later, he served as Under Secretary of the Treasury for Enforcement, overseeing the operations of one third of federal law enforcement, including the United States Secret Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the United States Customs Service. In the wake of the mass shooting at Columbine, Jim saw first hand the deadly results when guns are in the wrong hands and fought to close the gun-show loophole that contributed to the massacre. At the end of the Clinton years, Jim returned to private practice, where clients brought him in to handle their toughest challenges. He routinely advised companies who wanted independent reviews of their actions that met tough Department Of Justice standards for independence and thoroughness. As a partner at Debevoise & Plimpton, Jim was known for his calm demeanor, high ethical standards and insistence on getting the facts right. In 2009, Jim was selected by a federal judge to oversee the settlement of an affordable housing conflict between the Department of U.S. Housing and Urban Development in Westchester County, NY. His task was to hold officials accountable for fulfilling the terms of the consent decree. He also developed new, collaborative ways for communities to understand and solve the problems of developing and marketing affordable housing. For seven years, Jim led the Brennan Center for Justice as chair and, at times, co-counsel, working to protect the right to vote, to reduce both crime and incarceration and to advocate for fairness for families facing foreclosure. For two years, Jim led the State of New Jersey’s Advisory Committee on Police Standards, formed to develop a set of proposals to ensure that the State Trooper’s progress in eliminating racial profiling became permanent. His work led to a change in the law that has transformed the relationship between State Troopers and civilian leadership and has withstood the test of time. In the last two years, Jim brought together members of the civil rights and law enforcement communities in a collaboration known as New Jersey Communities Forward – a project within the NJ Institute for Social Justice. Adopting a new approach, NJCF contributed heavily to the new policies on police worn body cameras, independent shooting reviews and implicit bias training. New Jersey needs a new way of doing business – one that brings the wisdom of its people into the process and is forward-looking rather than crisis-driven. Jim is running for Governor to ensure that all of our voices are heard as we work to improve our public schools, increase wages and benefits for working families, and invest in repairing our roads, bridges, water system, and mass transit.[4] |
” |
| —Jim Johnson[5] | ||
State profile
| Demographic data for New Jersey | ||
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 8,935,421 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 7,354 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 68.3% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 13.5% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 9% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.5% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 19% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 88.6% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 36.8% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $72,093 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 12.7% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in New Jersey. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in New Jersey
New Jersey voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, two are located in New Jersey, accounting for 0.97 percent of the total pivot counties.[6]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. New Jersey had one Retained Pivot County and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 0.55 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.
More New Jersey coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in New Jersey
- United States congressional delegations from New Jersey
- Public policy in New Jersey
- Endorsers in New Jersey
- New Jersey fact checks
- More...
See also
| New Jersey | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Jim Johnson for New Jersey, "Meet Jim," accessed June 1, 2017
- ↑ New Jersey Division of Elections, "Official List - Candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor," accessed November 7, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 New Jersey Division of Elections, "Official Primary Results 2017 - Governor," June 28, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Jim Johnson, "Meet Jim," accessed May 24, 2017
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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