1996Final results
1996 election for New Jersey's 4th District
U.S. House · New Jersey
Chris Smith (R) won with 63.6% of the vote, defeating Kevin John Meara (D) by 29.9 points.
Chris SmithRepublican · winner
63.6%146,404
Kevin John MearaDemocrat
33.7%77,565
Robert FigueroaIndependent
1.3%3,000
Morgan StrongIndependent
0.9%2,034
Arnold KokansIndependent
0.5%1,111
230,114 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 1996
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.
No DemocratChris Smith
—
Raised by the campaign
$328.9K
—
Spent by the campaign
$284.8K
—
Cash on hand
$103.5K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1996.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1996
The candidates
Chris Smith (R)Kevin John Meara (D)
Also on the ballot: Robert Figueroa (Independent), 1.3%; Morgan Strong (Independent), 0.9%; Arnold Kokans (Independent), 0.5%