Christopher Christie

U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) sent a letter to the Department of Justice today seeking an investigation into reports that Republican Christopher Christie was campaigning for Governor while still serving as the state's federal prosecutor.  Lautenberg cites published reports that individuals in the U.S. Attorney's office were coordinating some political activity with Christie.  And Lautenberg notes that the first meeting between a government cooperating witness and Democratic officials occurred the day after Christie's former counsel, Michele Brown, attended a campaign event at the candidate's Mendham home.

Since he left Congress at the beginning of this year, Michael Ferguson has cut the balance of his old campaign account in half.  He started the year with $113,446 cash on hand, and had $54,911 in the bank as of the end of September.  Now a Washington lobbyist, Ferguson has contributed $20,000 to campaign accounts and political action committees connected to some former House colleagues.

Ferguson gave $4,000 last May to Joe Wilson, the South Carolina Congressman who later drew national attention when he called the President a liar during a joint session of Congress.  He also gave $5,000 to House Minority Whip Eric Cantor's PAC, and $4,000 to former House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, who is running for an open U.S. Senate seat in Missouri.  Ferguson also contributed to a Senator from North Carolina (Richard Burr, a former House colleague), and Congressmen from Kansas, California, Nebraska, and Michigan.

In New Jersey, Ferguson used his campaign account to contribute $3,400 to Republican gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie.  That is Ferguson's lone contribution from his campaign to local GOP candidates.

Jon Corzine is pushing independents who don't like him to vote for Christopher Daggett, former Gov. Christine Todd Whitman told Fox Business News today.

"He's the one who I think could make a difference.  The Corzine people want to keep his numbers at 12.  They figure if they keep his numbers at 12, they'll win, because they've been absolutely unable to move Jon Corzine's numbers up," Whitman said.  "He cannot get out of the 40's.  He is not popular, and they can't win if they run it on just Corzine himself, so they've got to go after Chris Christie and try and drag him down.  Now they're urging people, quietly, to support Chris Daggett because by doing that they figure they'll split the independent vote."

A new Rasmussen Reports poll has Republican Christopher Christie leading Gov. Jon Corzine by two points, 41%-39%, with 11% for independent Christopher Daggett.  

Rasmussen had Christie ahead 45%-41% in their October 15 poll, with Daggett at 11%.

Rasmussen’s release says that “Christie’s edge in the race has been fading rapidly” – a development unsurprising in light of the New Jersey Democrats’ history of catching up or taking a lead in the polls closer to election day.  

“Adding to the challenge this year, Corzine is expected to heavily outspend Christie during the final days which could be a game-changing factor,” wrote the pollster.

Former U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie's top campaign officials went after the New York Times today in response to a story that a former Justice Department official may have used her position to help Christie's campaign for governor.

"I think a story by unnamed sources two weeks out from the campaign making allegations which are untrue - I don't think there's a lot of credence to that story - and it was not something I was expecting two weeks out form the New York Times," said Christie strategist Mike DuHaime.

DuHaime and state Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Middletown), who chairs Christie's campaign, put together a press conference call this morning to talk about $87,000 in donations from Gov. Jon Corzine and his charitable foundation last year to the church of Rev. Reginald Jackson, who was courted by Christie but endorsed Corzine this month. 

Kyrillos criticized Corzine for delaying filing his philanthropic foundation's tax returns, arguing that "There must be a reason why the information is not forthcoming. We have 14 days left before an election."

If Jon Corzine wins re-election, it will be the first time since 1961 that any political party has won three consecutive races for Governor of New Jersey.  If Christopher Christie wins, he will become the first Governor to win his first statewide campaign since 1973.

Republicans won in 1946 and 1949, Democrats in 1953, 1957, 1961 and 1965, Republicans in 1969, Democrats in 1973 and 1977, Republicans in 1981 and 1985, Democrats in 1989, Republicans in 1993 and 1997, and Democrats in 2001 and 2005.

Since Brendan Byrne won in 1973 - his first bid for public office -- future Governors had made prior statewide bids: Thomas Kean lost a 1977 GOP gubernatorial primary before winning in 1981; Jim Florio was elected in 1989 after losing the 1977 Democratic primary and the 1981 general election; Christine Todd Whitman lost a race for U.S. Senate three years before winning the 1993 gubernatorial campaign; James E. McGreevey lost to Whitman in 1997 and won in 2001; and Corzine had run successfully for the U.S. Senate before running for Governor.

A new Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll has Gov. Jon Corzine and Christopher Christie tied at 39%, with independent Christopher Daggett third at 14%.  Corzine leads in North Jersey, 40%-38%, Christie leads 42%-36% in Central Jersey, and the candidates are tied at 39% in South Jersey.  Daggett runs best in Central Jersey (16%), and is at 13% in the North and 14% in the South.

Christie is getting 81% of the Republicans and Corzine receives 76% of the Democrats.  Christie has 45% of the independent vote, with Daggett at 22% and Corzine running third with 21%.  Daggett gets 11% of the Democrats, and 8% of the Republicans.

Corzine is winning women, 43%-39%, while Christie leads 40%-34% among men.  White voters favor Christie, 45%-32%, while Corzine leads 66%-17% among Blacks and Hispanics.  Daggett is at 9% among Blacks and Hispanics, below his statewide averages.

The gubernatorial race is tied, according to a new Monmouth University/Gannett poll.

The poll shows Gov. Jon Corzine and Republican gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie each getting 39%, while independent Christopher Daggett gets 14%.

A Monmouth poll from the beginning of this month showed Christie ahead of Corzine by three points - 43% to 40% -- with Daggett taking 8% of the vote.

Today's poll found that once reluctant Democrats are sticking with Corzine, but there may be some base trouble for Christie with the Republican base.  Christie had 86% of Republicans' support in the poll released early in the month and has 81% of the base in todays.  Corzine, who in July had 71% of Democrats' support, now has 76%.

A Star-Ledger report that Gov. Jon Corzine contributed $87,000 to Rev. Reginald Jackson's church is more evidence that the governor is trying to buy endorsements, said State Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Middletown), the chairman of Republican Christopher Christie's campaign.

"For the past ten years, Jon Corzine has used his personal wealth to influence elections and voters across our state and, now, it appears he is using contributions from his charitable foundation to continue this excessive influence," Kyrillos said.  "It is improper for Governor Corzine to contribute such large sums to organizations with a vested interest in the governor's race and with significant political sway during an election year."

Corzine's charitable foundation has applied for an extension on the filing of their 2008 tax return with the Internal Revenue Service, a move that can delay disclosure of their contributions until after Election Day.

EAST BRUNSWICK -- Chris Christie played it low key today, holding a living room sit-down with middle-class family just after Vice President Joe Biden stumped for Governor Jon Corzine a few miles away.

After he answered half-an-hour's worth of friendly questions from hosts Allison and Dan Brown and their guests, Christie parried media questions that started by noting the Democratic heavy hitters coming to New Jersey this week, starting with Biden today, Bill Clinton tomorrow and President Obama on Wednesday.

When asked how he felt about the onslaught of Democratic stars into the state today, Christie said "I think the people of New Jersey understand that neither Joe Biden, nor Bill Clinton, nor President Obama are going to move into the State House in January and help run the place."

Christie said it was good that Obama was coming to New Jersey.

"Even when he's campaigning against me, it's good for the people of New Jersey to see their president," he said.

Christie will have one national Republican figure in-state for him, however.  Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal will attend a Republican Governors Association fundraiser at a private home in Warren tonight.  Although the RGA cannot coordinate with his campaign, it has spent several million dollars on television ads tearing down Corzine and independent Christopher Daggett.