| Election Name: | 1978 United States Senate election in New Jersey |
| Country: | New Jersey |
| Type: | Presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1972 United States Senate election in New Jersey |
| Previous Year: | 1972 |
| Next Election: | 1984 United States Senate election in New Jersey |
| Next Year: | 1984 |
| Election Date: | November 7, 1978 |
| Image1: | File:Senator Bill Bradley (D-NJ) (1).jpg |
| Nominee1: | Bill Bradley |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 1,082,960 |
| Percentage1: | 55.32% |
| Nominee2: | Jeff Bell |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 844,200 |
| Percentage2: | 43.13% |
| Map Size: | 280px |
| U.S. Senator | |
| Before Election: | Clifford P. Case |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Bill Bradley |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
The 1978 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Senator Clifford P. Case ran for re-election to a fifth term in office, narrowly losing the Republican primary by anti-tax conservative Jeff Bell, who lost the general election to Democrat Bill Bradley. Bell was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for this seat again in 2014.
Primary elections were held on June 6, 1978.[1] This was the first time Democrats won this seat since 1936, and the first time since 1938 that Democrats held both seats in the state.
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Bill Bradley (D) | Jeffrey Bell (R) | Other/ Undecided | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutgers-Eagleton[2] | May 7–16, 1978 | 793 RV | align=center | 36% | 17% | 47% |
| Rutgers-Eagleton | Sept. 19–Oct. 1, 1978 | 883 RV | align=center | 49% | 24% | 27% |
| Rutgers-Eagleton | October 23–29, 1978 | 946 RV | align=center | 50% | 32% | 18% |
| 510 LV | align=center | 51% | 40% | 9% |
with Case
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin | Clifford Case (R) | Bill Bradley (D) | Richard Leone (D) | Alex Menza (D) | Other/ Undecided | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutgers-Eagleton | align=center rowspan="3" | May 7–16, 1978 | align=center rowspan="3" | 1007 A | align=center rowspan="3" | ±4.0% | align=center | 37% | 27% | – | – | 36% |
| align=center | 44% | – | 24% | – | 32% | |||||||
| align=center | 43% | – | – | 18% | 40% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin | Jeffrey Bell (R) | Richard Leone (D) | Alex Menza (D) | Other/ Undecided | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutgers-Eagleton | align=center rowspan="3" | May 7–16, 1978 | align=center rowspan="3" | 620 LV | align=center rowspan="3" | ±?% | 18% | align=center | 29% | – | 54% |
| 19% | – | align=center | 22% | 59% |