▁Republican ▁president ial ▁nom ine e ▁has ▁won ▁Es sex ▁County , ▁although ▁it ▁was ▁still ▁McG overn ' s ▁strong est , ▁only ▁narrow ly ▁going ▁to ▁N ixon ▁by ▁a ▁ 5 0 – 4 8 ▁margin . ▁Mer cer ▁County ▁was ▁the ▁second - clos est , ▁with ▁N ixon ▁winning ▁it , ▁ 5 2 – 4 7 . ▁N ixon ' s ▁strong est ▁county ▁was ▁rural ▁Sus sex ▁County , ▁where ▁he ▁received ▁ 7 4 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote . ▁ ▁New ▁Jersey ▁in ▁this ▁era ▁was ▁a ▁swing ▁state ▁with ▁a ▁slight ▁Republican ▁lean , ▁and ▁this ▁pattern ▁continued ▁with ▁the ▁results ▁of ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁In ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁nation wide ▁Republican ▁lands lide , ▁New ▁Jersey ▁voted ▁basically ▁how ▁the ▁nation ▁voted , ▁its ▁result ▁being ▁ 1 % ▁more ▁Republican ▁than ▁the ▁national ▁average . ▁ ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁third ▁time ▁in ▁ 5 ▁president ial ▁elections ▁that ▁the ▁winning ▁candidate ▁swe pt ▁New ▁Jersey ' s ▁count ies ▁in ▁an ▁election , ▁having ▁also ▁happened ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 4 . ▁However , ▁it ▁only ▁happened ▁once ▁before , ▁when ▁Warren ▁G . ▁Hard ing ▁achieved ▁it ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁and , ▁as ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁this ▁has ▁not ▁happened ▁since . ▁ ▁Results ▁ ▁Results ▁by ▁county ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ ▁Pres iden cy ▁of ▁Richard ▁N ixon ▁ ▁The ▁Water gate ▁Sc