1958 United States Senate election in New Jersey
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County results Williams: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Kean: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in New Jersey |
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The 1958 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 4, 1958. Incumbent Senator H. Alexander Smith chose not to seek a third term in office. Democratic former U.S. Representative Harrison Williams won the open seat over U.S. Representative Robert Kean.
Primary elections were held on April 15. Kean defeated Eisenhower aide Bernard M. Shanley and Robert J. Morris, while Williams narrowly defeated Hoboken mayor John Grogan. The six total candidates running in the two primaries was the most since open primaries were established in 1913.
This was one of a record 15 seats Democrats gained from the Republican Party in 1958. Williams was the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from New Jersey since 1936; as of 2025, Democrats have won every subsequent election to this seat.