The 2005 New Jersey gubernatorial election was a race to determine the Governor of New Jersey. It was held on November 8, 2005. Democratic Governor Richard Codey, who replaced Governor Jim McGreevey in 2004 after his resignation, did not run for election for a full term of office. The primary election was held on June 7, 2005. U.S. Senator Jon Corzine won the Democratic nomination with no serious opposition. Former West Windsor Mayor Doug Forrester received the Republican nomination with a plurality of 36%. Corzine defeated Forrester in the general election. New Jersey is reliably Democratic at the federal level, but this was the first time since 1977 in which Democrats won more than one consecutive gubernatorial election in the state. The 2005 general election also saw a public referendum question on the ballot for the voters to decide whether to create a position of lieutenant governor, alter the state's order of succession, and whether the state's first lieutenant governor would be chosen in the subsequent gubernatorial election held in 2009. The question passed by a tally of 836,134 votes (56.1%) to 655,333 (43.9%). As of 2022, this is the most recent time that Salem County voted for the Democratic candidate in a gubernatorial race. Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Jon Corzine, U.S. Senator Eliminated in primary James D. Kelly Jr., telecommunications company employee Francis X. Tenaglio, former Pennsylvania State Representative Declined Richard Codey, incumbent Governor and president of the New Jersey Senate Results Republican primary Candidates Nominee Doug Forrester, former Mayor of West Windsor and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2002 Eliminated in Primary Todd Caliguire, Bergen County Freeholder Paul DiGaetano, State Assemblyman Steve Lonegan, Mayor of Bogota John J. Murphy, Morris County Freeholder and former Mayor of Morris Township Bob Schroeder, Washington Township Councilman Bret Schundler, former Mayor of Jersey City and nominee for Governor in 2001 Results General election Candidates Major Jon Corzine (D) Incumbent U.S. Senator Doug Forrester (R) Former Mayor of West Windsor Minor Jeffrey Pawlowski, former Sayreville borough councilman (U.S. Libertarian Party) Matthew Thieke, computer software analyst and resident of Maple Shade (Green) Ed Forchion, Candidate for U.S. Representative in New Jersey's 3rd congressional district in 2004 (Marijuana) Angela Lariscy, Candidate for U.S. Representative in New Jersey's 13th congressional district in 2004 (Socialist Workers) Constantino Rozzo, Congressional candidate in New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in 2004 (Socialist) Hector Castillo, physician and candidate for Mayor