N.J. GOP Vote Sets Race for Governor

A conservative mayor easily won the Republican nomination for governor Tuesday, defeating a moderate former congressman in a closely watched race with the ideological direction of New Jersey’s GOP at stake.

Bret Schundler, the mayor of Jersey City just west of New York, will face Democrat Jim McGreevey in November’s general election.

With 88% of precincts reporting, Schundler had 57% of the votes, or 173,907, to 43%, or 129,387, for former Rep. Bob Franks, who was favored in some early polls.

“They said we could never win, but you didn’t believe them did you?” Schundler said to cheering supporters he called the “Schundler Army.” “If you want government to empower you and not take power over you, you need to join us.”

Schundler received a congratulatory phone call from President Bush. At his victory rally were former GOP vice presidential nominee Jack Kemp and national party Chairman Jim Gilmore.

“This is a great victory for [Schundler’s wife] Lynn and Bret, but more important it is a victory for the ideas of Mr. Lincoln, our founder, and Ronald Reagan,” Kemp said.

State GOP leaders said they would support Schundler, though acting Gov. Donald T. DiFrancesco refused an immediate endorsement.

“Bret Schundler needs to explain himself on the issues and his legislative agenda,” he said. “I could be energized for the party. Whether I could be energized for Bret Schundler or not, he’s going to determine that.”

DiFrancesco and former Gov. Christie Whitman instead were with Franks as he made his concession speech 90 minutes after polls closed.

Franks, who served in Congress for four terms, said he would likely no longer hold public office. He promised to back Schundler.

“Only by working together can we defeat Jim McGreevey in November and keep our Republican majority in the state Senate and state Assembly,” Franks said.

McGreevey handily beat a little-known opponent for the nomination in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 25% to 19%, and the remaining 56% of the electorate are largely moderate independents.

McGreevey, 43, the mayor of Woodbridge, has been campaigning for most of the past four years after narrowly losing to Whitman in 1997.