Christopher Christie

Republicans across the state are in awe of George Gilmore, the Ocean County GOP leader who delivered a 70,000 plurality for Gov.-elect Christopher Christie on Tuesday.  That's bad news for U.S. Rep. John Adler (D-Cherry Hill), who is preparing to seek re-election next year to a second term in Congress.  Republicans held the third district seat from 1884 until 2008, but have struggled to find a candidate and are way behind in fundraising - Adler has $1 million in his campaign account and has raised more money than any other freshman.  But now Christie and Gilmore are positioned to raise some serious money, and there's a fairly good chance the GOP will just left Gilmore pick a candidate.

Despite his public flirtation with Republican Christopher Christie, State Sen. Brian Stack appears to have delivered for the gubernatorial candidate of his party, Democrat Jon Corzine.  In Union City, where Stack is mayor and heads the local Democratic organization, Corzine beat Christie 8,300 to 2,191 (77%-20%).  Four years ago, Corzine beat Republican Douglas Forrester 9,385 to 2,459 (79%-20%).  While turnout was down, Christie actually got less votes in Union City than Forrester did.  Some of the credit for this goes to U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, who leaned on Stack to stay entirely within the Democratic fold.

Gov.-elect Christopher Christie says he's not ready to immediately battle the Democratic Legislature during their lame duck session, but he is prepared to speak out if they take action that he disagrees with.

"Am I willing to fight? Of course I am. You've watched me for eight years now. I'm not a Wallflower," Christie said at a press conference at the Robert Treat Academy, a Newark charter school run by Stephen Adubato, Sr.

Christie said he'll look at the Legislature with "an optimistic point of view."

"I think the members of the Legislature understand that people have voted for change," Christie said.  The voters voted for it.  So for now, we'll have to engage in the compromise that will occur always when people have differing views."

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.

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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.

Watch for New Jersey Democrats to consider legislation that will change the way the state fills vacancies in the United States Senate.  Now that Democrats have lost the governorship, some party leaders are concerned that Republican Gov.-elect Christopher Christie would appoint a U.S. Senator if Democrat Frank Lautenberg, who turns 86 in January, leaves office without finishing the final four years of his term.  Some Democratic leaders have already discussed a plan to take the appointment away from the governor and forcing a quick special election.  Jon Corzine could sign that bill before he leaves office in January.

Five years ago, when there was a good chance that Democrat John Kerry might get elected president, the Democratic-controlled Massachusetts Legislature changed the law so that Republican Gov. Mitt Romney could not appoint Kerry's successor.

Governor-elect Christopher J. Christie.  How sweet it is for the thousands of volunteers who worked since February to support this great man for NJ Governor.  I am proud to be one of them.

Congratulations go to him and to his wife Mary Pat and terrific family.  Also congratulations to Lt Governor-elect Kim Guadagno on her election.  Her stellar performance on the campaign trail was a major asset to the Governor-elect, and proved his good judgment in choosing her.

When Gov-elect Christie was named US Attorney, most observers ignored his call that public corruption would be a major priority of his office.  This is Jersey, after all, where pay-to-play and apparently other seedier behaviors were standard operating procedure in many communities.

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.

Chris Christie tonight delivered for the New Jersey GOP a governorship - the first time a Republican has won a statewide race in New Jersey in a dozen years - and by a margin greater than even most Republicans expected. 

Once he is sworn in January, Christie will become the state's 55th governor.

By the time he started his victory speech, unofficial results showed a Christie victory of 106,000 over Corzine. 

Independent Christopher Daggett, up to 20% in one October poll, fell back to earth on Election Day, getting in the low single digits.

When the Bruce Springsteen cover band stopped playing for a few minutes to show footage of Daggett's concession speech with audio, the crowd gave off an intense boo.

Christie was introduced by Lieutenant Governor-Elect Kim Guadagno, who said "Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, we are going to see change.

"There is hope for real change. There is hope for lowering taxes. There is hope for smaller government. There is hope for new jobs in New Jersey."

Christie took to the podium and gave a simple salutation to the boisterous, shoulder-to-shoulder crowd of GOP faithful who had to wait over a decade for this moment.

"Hey, New Jersey - we did it," he said.

Christie received Gov. Corzine's concession call at about 10:40.

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