State Sen. Bill Baroni said that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is an “extraordinary choice” who will put New Jersey in play.

News reports this morning say McCain has tapped Palin, 44, as his running mate.

“Now with an 8 week campaign, we’ve got a great ticket that for New Jersey that obviously appeals to the blue collar voters,” said Baroni, the chairman of McCain’s New Jersey campaign. “Now we’re adding a conservative choice in Sarah Palin who appeals to New Jersey’s conservative and independent voters, men and women.”

And while Palin couldn’t come from a state more different than New Jersey, Baroni said that her ethics-based gubernatorial campaign and spats with Rep. Don Young (R-Ala.) will resonate with Garden State voters.

“Certainly Sarah Palin appeals to a broad spectrum of New Jjersey voters, but as a young mom she has a very special appeal to New Jersey’s vast independent voting block,” he said. “Additionally, maybe even more than any state but Alaska, New Jersey, which has wallowed in a culture of corruption, will see Sarah Palin as a fellow traveler on the road to reform.”

Palin is, however, has been accused by the state’s former Commissioner of Public Safety of leaning on him to fire a state trooper who was going through a bitter divorce with her sister.

“There’s no evidence of it. It will be completely vetted of the next 48 hours,” said Baroni.

Baroni stressed that he had not yet heard official word about Palin from the campaign.