February 4, 2008 - 10:40am

28 years ago, Teddy Kennedy swamped Jimmy Carter in New Jersey

U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy will be in New Jersey today, joining Barack Obama for a rally in a state that has become a horse race despite Hillary Clinton’s one-time 34-point lead.  The last two times New Jersey was relevant in the presidential nominating process were in 1980 and 1984.  In the 1980 primary, Kennedy won New Jersey 56%-38% over President Jimmy Carter.  In 1984, Walter Mondale won New Jersey by a 45%-30% margin over Gary Hart, with Jesse Jackson winning 24% of the vote.