Gov. Chris Christie raised $2,139,545 in December, according to the Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC), compared to $214,500 raised by challenger state Sen. Barbara Buono (D-18), Metuchen.

Christie spent $53,291, leaving him with a closing ELEC balance of $2,086,254.

Buono spent $1,573 and has $212,927 in the bank.

PolitickerNJ.com reported last week that Christie does not intend to participate in the state's public financing program for the primary.

Buono is participating in the public matching funds program. The Democratic challenger did not attend yesterday's inauguration so that she could maintain her fundraising pace, according to a source close to the campaign. The next date for candidates to submit funds for matching is Tuesday, January 29, 2013.

Under the program, candidates who raise at least $380,000 can obtain up to $3.5 million in public funds for the primary, according to ELEC. Candidates receive $2 in public funds for every $1 they raise privately, though the first $122,000 raised privately is not eligible for matching funds. Publicly funded candidates must keep their overall primary spending below $5.6 million. The law does exempt a few expenses from the cap, including candidate travel and election night activities.There is no spending limit for non-participating candidates but they must abide by the contribution limit of $3,800 for the primary and general elections.