Sean Darcy

Quinnipiac is considered a prominent pollster for New Jersey politics, but the Corzine campaign said that today’s poll, which showed Republican gubernatorial nominee Chris Christie expanding his lead over Gov. Corzine from 10 to 12 points, is an “anomaly.”  

“It’s not consistent with any of the other major polls we’ve seen most recently. It’s not consistent with our internal polling. It’s difficult to imagine in July in New Jersey single digit undecideds.  We’re historically a late breaking state,” said Corzine spokesman Sean Darcy.  

In a three way race with independent Christopher Daggett included, Christie’s lead drops to nine points.  

Today’s survey comes after two other public polls from Rasmussen and Fairleigh Dickinson University showed the race narrowing, while Corzine’s internal polling shows the Governor trailing Christie by just four.

“Our internal polling shows that it will be a tough race, but Governor Corzine has the important strengths that he can build on.  The Governor is seen as uniquely qualified on financial and economic issues. He’s got a partner in President Obama, who’s very popular in New Jersey,” said Darcy, who said that the campaign’s poll showed that only 59% of New Jersey voters knew that President Obama – who remains popular in the state – is openly backing Corzine.

Robert Corrales, a veteran campaign and government communications staffer, will be Gov. Jon Corzine's new Press Secretary.  He will replace Sean Darcy, who will become Communications Director for Corzine's re-election campaign.  Corrales has been Deputy Press Secretary since last August, and previously served as Assistant Director of Communications for the New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, Public Information Officer at the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development and as a deputy press secretary in the Governor's Office from 2002-2004.

Former Star-Ledger reporter Jeff Whelan will direct opposition research for Gov. Jon Corzine's re-election campaign.

Former Star-Ledger reporter Jeff Whelan, who was part of the team that won the Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of Governor James E. McGreevey's resignation, will be the Research Director for Governor Jon Corzine's re-election campaign, according to a senior Corzine aide.  Whelan covered the federal prosecutor's office while Corzine's possible Republican opponent, Christopher Christie, served as U.S. Attorney.

Sean Darcy, Corzine's press secretary, will leave state government to become the campaign's Communications Director.  Darcy worked for Governor Richard Codey and the Department of Community Affairs before joining the front office last year. 

James Gee, who served as McGreevey's Deputy Chief of Staff, will be a senior advisor to the campaign.

Patricia Campos, the Political Director of the New Jersey State Council of UNITE HERE! and a member of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, will serve as the campaign's latino outreach director. 

Rafi Jafri, who was based in Chicago raising money for Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign, will become Corzine's Finance Director.

Sean Darcy, a former spokesman for Gov. Richard Codey, will be Gov. Jon Corzine's new press secretary. Corzine is expected to announce on Monday that Darcy, a former Department of Community Affairs staffer who now works for the Governor, will replace Lilo Stainton as his press secretary.