Editor's blog

Wakeup Call will return on Tuesday, November 17.

• Christie's charisma already a force
• For Dems, a last shot to create mischief
• Ex-NJ Gov McGreevey training to become priest
• Stile: PACs, Ferriero will cloud Bergen executive's race
• N.J. Gov.-elect Chris Christie plans to talk about taxes
• Coniglio joining the prison crowd
• LoBiondo can expect visitors over vote against health care bill
• Moran replaces Farmer as editorial page editor
• Mayor threatens to withhold taxes
• N.J. advocate to head U.S. reserves board, raise issue of soldiers' physical and mental health
• Gov.-elect Chris Christie winged his Election Night speech; Maggie Moran and Mike DuHaime make friends; Where to send your resumes
• Zimmer plans a City Hall more up-to-date, online
• U.S. Marshals nab NJ shooting suspect hours after he's on "America's Most Wanted"
• Law allows N.J. to collect unclaimed slot winnings from Atlantic City casinos
• Jersey City official charged in kiddie sex chat sting

• Chris Christie gives passing grade to Xanadu interior, but still not thrilled
• Christie, Corzine Meet and Talk About Transition
• Christie's victory has Republicans hopeful for conference in Atlantic City
• Ex-Municipal Court judge gets probation for assaulting DJ wife
• Jersey Lawmaker Wants to Crack Down on State Workers Who Go Back to Work After They Retire
• Democratic loser to request recount in Monroe council race
• Hillsborough officials backing Christie business review proposal
• Clayton council swears in GOP's Radio as new mayor
• N.J. task force seeks exceptions to gun law

Wakeup Call will retun on Tuesday, November 17.

Some links to stories in this morning's newspapers:

• Corzine, his time running out, mum on future
• Doblin: An inside look at the outsider now indoors
• Stile: Campaign finance reform hasn't stopped shadowy donors
• Corzine Hasn't Spoken With Bank of America on CEO Job
• Newark's Democrats: Don't blame us for Gov. Jon Corzine's loss
• Loopholes in N.J. campaign finance laws benefit biggest government contractors
• N.J. Gov. Corzine makes first public appearance with Gov.-elect Christie, vows smooth transition
• Gov.-elect Christie's transition team meets for first time
• Ex-N.J. Sen. John Lynch set to finish corruption sentence at Newark halfway house
• Engineering firm denies donating to Jersey City councilman
• NJ Gov-elect Christie forms budget-tax task force
• Corzine, Christie have cordial transition meeting
• Ex-Eagle Runyan may seek Adler's seat
• GOP wants Runyan to tackle Adler for Congress

Former State Sen. Richard Bagger (R-Westfield), left, and former OMB official Robert Grady, will head Gov.-elect Chris Christie's budget transition team

Former State Sen. Richard Bagger and former Kean aide Robert Grady will chair Gov.-elect Christopher Christie's transition task force on budget and taxes.

Bagger, a top Pfizer executive, chaired the Assembly Appropriations Committee for four years.  Grady, a millionaire venture capitalist who retired in June from his post as Chairman of Carlyle Venture Partners, served as Communications Director under Kean, and as Executive Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget under Bush.  He also served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Rep. Millicent Fenwick.  He also spent ten years as a professor at the Stanford University Business School. 

The Task Force Co-Chairmen will help develop recommendations to address the fiscal deficit that state experts have estimated at over $8 billion for the coming fiscal year 2011, and to respond to the shortfall in projected state revenues in the current fiscal year 2010, according to a statement released by Christie's transition office.

Former U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie, left, will become the 55th Governor of New Jersey in January, after defeating incumbent Jon Corzine, right, by more than 100,000 votes.  Democrats lost just one Assembly seat, but the GOP picked up eight Freeholder seats across the state.  Christie is the first Republican to win statewide in twelve years, and his plurality was the second best for a GOP challenger against a Democratic incumbent in state history. Corzine, who spent over $130 million of his own money running for office over the last nine years, won just 45% of the vote.  Christopher Daggett, a former state environmental protection commissioner who qualified for matching funds, spent over $1.5 million, and won the endorsement of the state's largest newspaper, received a pitiful 6% of the vote.

PolitickerNJ.com's Winners & Losers: CLICK HERE

Assemblyman Thomas Giblin (D-Montclair) says he will donate a dime to charity for every campaign lawn sign brought to his Clifton office. 

"Some of these signs sit around for months following an election," said Giblin, a former Democratic State Chairman. "We can clean-up our streets and help the less fortunate at the same time." 

Giblin says the money will go to Eva's Village, a Paterson-based social services agency.

"Not only do these things become an eyesore, but the metal hangers they're on start rusting and the laminated cardboard winds up in the streets and jamming up the sewers," Giblin said. "It poses a real hazard to the environment."

State Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck), who will return to the Senate next year after losing her bid for Lt. Governor, has committed to supporting State Sen. Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford) for Senate President, Democratic source say.  Weinberg becomes the 15th Democratic Senator out of 23 to back Sweeney in his bid to unseat the incumbent, Richard Codey (D-Roseland). 

Gov.-elect Christopher Christie today named former Attorney General David Samson as chairman of his transiton team, and said that Jeffrey Chiesa, who served as his counsel in the U.S. Attorney's office, will serve as Executive Director of the transition office.

Getty Images Photo

With 99% of the votes reported, Republican Christopher Christie’s lead in the race for governor is now at 99,730 a 49%-45% margin over the incumbent Democrat, Jon Corzine.  Independent Christopher Daggett finished at 6%, with 132,919 votes.  These numbers will change as unreported precincts and absentee ballots are added to the tallies.

Republicans picked up one seat in the State Assembly: in district 4, Domenick DiCicco won an open seat that the Democrats have held since 2003.  The GOP came close to ousting incumbents in districts 3 and 22.

Statewide, Republicans picked up eight Freeholder seats, including control in Monmouth County.  And the GOP won three hotly contested races for County Clerk, including a pickup in Passaic.  A Republican victory in the Parsippany mayoral race was tempered by a loss of a GOP mayor in Gloucester Township.

Republican Christopher J. Christie, who won acclaim as a corruption buster during his seven years as the United States Attorney, was elected Governor of New Jersey, defeating incumbent Jon S. Corzine by more than 105,000 votes.

Republicans picked up one State Assembly seat, captured control of the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, and won Freeholder seats in Bergen, Passaic, and Cumberland counties.

Christie, 47, is the first Republican to win statewide in twelve years.  He won big margins in Republican counties like Monmouth and Ocean, and beat Corzine in two Democratic counties, Middlesex and Gloucester.

Corzine, a Wall Street millionaire who has spent more than $130 million of his own money during his three campaigns for public office, was defeated for re-election by a 49%-45% margin.  Former state Environmental Protection Commissioner Christopher Daggett won just 5% in his independent bid for governor.

In District 4, Republican Domenick DeCicco won the seat of retiring Democratic Assemblywoman Sandra Love.  Democratic Assemblyman Paul Moriarty won re-election.    Democrats will control the Assembly 47-33.