The 1981 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held November 3, 1981. Republican Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly Thomas Kean narrowly defeated Democratic U.S. Representative James Florio, 4
Tom Kean 1981
James Florio 1983
Ronald Reagan, pictured here campaigning in September 1980 in Jersey City, won a large victory in New Jersey. His election and the early stages of his presidency served as the backdrop for the 1981 campaign, in which nearly all of the Republican field focused on their affinity with the President.
Kean campaigning in September
The 1989 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1989. Incumbent Republican Governor Thomas Kean was term-limited after two consecutive terms. Democrat James Florio, a U.S. Represent
1981 New Jersey gubernatorial election
…conceded the race on November 30. Kean went on to serve two terms as governor from 1982 to 1990, whereupon he was succeeded by Florio, who won the 1989 election in a landslide. Herbert J. Buehler, former state senator from Point Pleasant Beach…
James Florio headshot 1983
Jim Courter