Ending Eight Years of Republican Rule, New Jersey Elects Democrat McGreevey As Governor

Democratic candidate Jim McGreevey, the mayor of Woodbridge and a former state senator, emerged victorious in the race for New Jersey governor, beating Republican nominee Bret Schundler, the former mayor of Jersey City, the New York Times reports. With 98% of the precincts counted, McGreevey, who "enjoyed the overwhelming backing of women, blacks, Democrats, independents and poor and middle-class voters," won 56% of the vote, compared to Schundler's 42% (Halbfinger, New York Times, 11/7). McGreevey's "landslide victory" on Nov. 6 came four years after he lost the 1997 gubernatorial race to incumbent Christine Todd Whitman (R) by a 1% margin (Benedetto, USA Today, 11/7). Schundler, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports, was "the most conservative statewide candidate on the ballot in New Jersey in 23 years," while McGreevey falls more toward the center. Health care issues, with the exception of abortion, remained on the periphery of the campaign for the most part. But both candidates laid out their views on such issues of managed care reform and the uninsured. These opinions largely match their greater ideological divide (Turcol, Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/28).

Abortion Divide
During the campaign, Schundler stated that he thinks abortion is "always wrong" except in cases where the procedure is necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman. According to Schundler, abortion "should not be an issue" in the gubernatorial race because only federal authorities have the power to overturn Roe v. Wade. However, McGreevey, an abortion-rights supporter, noted that as governor, Schundler would have the power to veto government funding for agencies such as Planned Parenthood that provide abortion services (Herszenhorn, New York Times, 10/29). McGreevey, who supports some abortion restrictions such as parental notification in cases involving minors seeking abortions, was endorsed by the National Organization for Women and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund (Whelan, Newark Star-Ledger, 10/5).

Standing With Consumers Against MCOs
Even before Schundler secured the GOP nomination in June by beating former Rep. Bob Franks (R) in the Republican primary, McGreevey, who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination, placed himself on the side of consumers and against managed care organizations. "I am not worried about the CEO of an HMO or the CEO of an insurance company," he said in a 30-second television spot, adding, "They are going to take care of themselves. But I worry about that lady in the nursing home because that could be my mother" (Associated Press, 6/11). Last month, McGreevey proposed shifting $24 million a year in state funding from MCOs that cover Medicaid beneficiaries to school-based clinics in poor districts. He said that the MCOs' Medicaid networks do not have enough providers in urban areas (Margolin, Newark Star-Ledger, 10/5). He also supported the state's patients' bill of rights. McGreevey's other proposals indicate a desire for an increased government role in promoting health care initiatives. In a recent electronic debate published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, McGreevey called for providing tax incentives to improve home health programs, greater federal funding for the state's prescription drug program for seniors and people with disabilities and $29 million in funding for cancer research, screening and treatment (Philadelphia Inquirer, 11/2). He also called last month for an increase in funding to shore up the state's mental health system (Parello, Bergen Record, 10/2).

Health Care Affordability for Individuals
Schundler, however, emphasized a more market-based approach to health care that focused on giving individuals the opportunity to purchase their own coverage. "I would like to implement reforms that put consumers in charge of their health care and provide them with incentives to contain health care costs," he said last month. Schundler touted a pilot program he introduced in Jersey City allowing some employees to enroll in medical savings accounts, which "reduced premiums for the city, enabled employees to choose their own doctor and provided them with first-dollar coverage." He said he would offer state employees MSAs if elected (New Jersey Business, 10/1). In the Inquirer E-Debate, Schundler said that "heavy regulation" by the state on insurers had led to significant premium increases. "The most effective way to address the issue of affordability is not to have government to take control of health care ... but to provide uninsured families with refundable tax credits so they can afford to purchase private insurance on their own," he said. Schundler concluded that the "goal of our insurance policies should be to keep a vibrant and competitive marketplace alive and well in New Jersey, while using our government resources to make insurance available and affordable to our most vulnerable citizens" (Philadelphia Inquirer, 11/2).