TRENTON – It’s a personal decision, not politics, says former governor Dick Codey on his decision not to enter into a race to challenge Gov. Chris Christie.

“I told [Senate President] Steve Sweeney when I met with him that it’s going to be hard for me to walk away for a year from a business you have your name on,” Codey said by phone Friday, referring to the recent purchase of a second funeral home.

“It was a personal decision as opposed to a decision based on politics,” he said.

Codey told PolitickerNJ Sweeney “showed himself to be a good leader” throughout the process but stopped short of speculating whether the Senate president would enter the race.

Currently, state Sen. Barbara Buono is the only major Democratic candidate poised to represent her party in the upcoming election.