The next governor of New Jersey?

Former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie wins the Republican primary, and has a shot at beating the incumbent

Published June 3, 2009 3:45PM (EDT)

New Jersey's normally thought of as a blue state, but a Republican primary held there on Tuesday night could end up determining who serves as the state's governor.

Former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie bested conservative Steve Lonegan, defeating him by a solid 13-point margin. Now he'll go on to face current Gov. Jon Corzine, a Democrat, in the general election, which will be held later this year.

Corzine's in trouble -- most of his state's residents disapprove of the job he's doing, and early polls show Christie with a good shot at beating him. He'll need to run a solid campaign, and somehow win back the hearts and minds of New Jerseyans, in order to keep his post.

One point in Corzine's favor, though: In recent elections, polls in New Jersey have consistently shown the state's voters leaning towards Republican candidates only to shift back when it comes time to actually vote.


By Alex Koppelman

Alex Koppelman is a staff writer for Salon.

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