1984Final results
1984 election for New Jersey's 12th District
U.S. House · New Jersey
James Courter (R) won with 65.0% of the vote, defeating Peter Bearse (D) by 30.7 points.
James CourterRepublican · winner
65.0%148,042
Peter BearseDemocrat
34.3%78,167
Joseph R. Kerr IIILibertarian
0.7%1,624
227,833 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1984
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
Money in this race
Each line compares the two campaigns on one scale.
Peter BearseJames Courter
$94.2K
Raised by the campaign
$495.1K
$90.8K
Spent by the campaign
$409.6K
$3.5K
Cash on hand
$172.4K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1984.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1984