United States gubernatorial elections, 2001

The gubernatorial elections in the United States in 2001 were held on 6 November 2001. Was elected to the states of New Jersey and Virginia. In both cases, the governor asked of the Republican Party did not stand for re-election; followed in each case a change of power to the Democratic Party.

In New Jersey, the previously selected twice for the Republican Governor Christine Todd Whitman resigned in January 2001 to become head of the Environmental Protection Agency. At the time of the election now practiced Donald DiFrancesco, President of the Senate of New Jersey, from the highest public office. Originally, he had planned candidacy for own term of office, but it opened in April after critical media reports about its practices as a businessman distance. As a result, he supported the former Congressman Bob Franks, who in the Republican Primary against Bret Schundler, however, the mayor of Jersey City, lost.

The Democrats nominated as four years earlier the then nearly defeated Jim McGreevey, former member of the State Senate and Mayor of Woodbridge Township. This time he won the election with 56.4 percent of the vote clearly; Schundler came up with a share of 41.7 percent. Third was the Republican State Senator William E. Schluter, who ran as an Independent, with 1.1 percent of the vote, followed by six other candidates. Between the election and McGreeveys office three other people had the post of governor provisionally held since DiFrancescos term as President of the Senate previously expired. In John J. Farmer John Bennett and Richard Codey followed.

After four years of Republican Jim Gilmore had divorced as governor of Virginia constitutionally from office. To his successor competed Mark Earley, until June 2001 Attorney General of the State, who gave up his job to concentrate on the campaign trail can. Although he was nominated by the Republicans, but then lost the election with a share of 47 percent of the vote to Democrat Mark Warner, voted for the 52.2 percent of voters. At 0.8 percent, it brought the third candidate, Bill Redpath of the Libertarian Party.