Chris Christie

Chris Christie
Governor of New Jersey
Incumbent
In office
January 19, 2010 - Present
Years in position	3
Party	Republican
Predecessor	Jon Corzine (D)
Compensation
Base salary	$175,000
Elections and appointments
First elected	November 2009
Next election	November 5, 2013
Campaign $	$16,091,562
Term limits	N/A
Prior offices
US Attorney for the District of New Jersey
January 2002 – December 2008
Education
High school	Livingston High School
Bachelor's	University of Delaware (1984)
J.D.	Seton Hall University (1987)
Personal
Birthday	September 6, 1962
Place of birth	Newark, New Jersey
Profession	Attorney
Religion	Roman Catholic
Websites
Office website
Personal website
Campaign website

Christopher Christie (b. September 6, 1962 in Newark, New Jersey) is a New Jersey Republican currently serving as the 55th Governor of New Jersey. Elected in 2009, Christie defeated Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine 48.5% to 45%. Christie is running for a second term as governor in the 2013 election. He defeated one challenger, Seth Grossman, in the Republican primary election on June 4, 2013. He will face Democratic nominee Barbara Buono and several third party challengers in the general election, which takes place November 5, 2013.

Christie began his political career as a Morris County freeholder. After losing his 1995 bid for State Assembly, Christie did not run for office again until the 2009 gubernatorial race. He worked as a lobbyist for energy companies until he was nominated by George W. Bush to serve as United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, a position he held from 2002-2008.

After declining to run for President in 2012, Christie was considered to be a possible vice presidential running mate for Mitt Romney, but ultimately was not selected. Seen by many as a divisive figure since assuming the governorship, Christie's popularity soared in the wake of his response to superstorm Sandy in October 2012. He is considered to be a strong contender for the Republican nomination for President in 2016.

Biography

Christie is a New Jersey native, having been born in Newark and growing up in Livingston. As an undergraduate, he studied political science before going on to law school. In 1987, the same year he graduated, he was admitted to the bar in New Jersey and for the U.S. District Court for New Jersey.

He joined Dughi, Hewit & Palatucci, becoming a partner in 1993. The following year, he was elected a Freeholder of Morris County. In 1995, he ran for New Jersey's General Assembly, losing the primary and then losing his re-election bid as a Freeholder after Republicans recruited a candidate to run against him.

In 1998, Christie registered a lobbyist with his law firm and spent the next several years lobbying the state government on various issues. In 2001, he was nominated to be the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, ultimately being unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He served in that office from January 2002 until he began his gubernatorial campaign in 2009.

Christie was named as one of the top 100 most influential people by Time magazine in 2011 and 2013.

Education

• JD, Seton Hall University School of Law, 1987
• BA, Political Science, University of Delaware, 1984
• Livingston High School, 1980

Political career

Governor of New Jersey (2010 - Present)

Christie was first elected Governor of New Jersey in 2009.

Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")

• Health-exchange

On December 6, 2012, Christie vetoed a bill to establish a state-based health care exchange under the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare. His determination was based on concerns about the potential cost of developing and implementing a New Jersey specific system, although he has not officially ceded all other provisional options for states unwilling to participate in the federal health care exchange, which is an online marketplace for citizens to purchase health insurance and apply to receive federal subsidies. Since Christie and state lawmakers were unable to agree on an alternative by the December 14, 2012 deadline, New Jersey will enter the federal program by default. New Jersey is one of thirty two states to opt out of a state-based program. On February 15, 2013, Christie formally announced that New Jersey would not create its own healthcare exchange, ceding that authority to the federal government.

• Medicaid Expansion

On February 26, 2013, Christie unveiled a state budget plan prescribing New Jersey's participation in the Medicaid expansion program outlined under the Affordable Care Act, becoming the eighth Republican governor to reluctantly endorse the law's optional state-level provision. Christie insisted that his overall opposition to Obamacare had not wavered despite his support for expanding Medicaid- a move that could extend insurance coverage to an additional 300,000 low-income residents and inject up to $300 million federal dollars into the state in the upcoming year. With the upcoming election in mind, among other factors, Christie stated frankly during his state budget address, “It’s simple. We are putting people first,” about broadening the Medicaid eligibility requirements for New Jerseyans.

Gun control

In January 2013, following the tragic elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut that claimed the lives of twenty children and six adult staff members, Christie created a bipartisan task force to study the issue of violence, seeking recommendations not only on gun control but other "antiviolence" measures as well. “If we are truly going to take an honest and candid assessment of violence and public safety, we have to look more deeply at the underlying causes of many acts of violence,” Christie explained. The Republican governor has not opposed the state's current gun laws, which, he noted, are the second strictest in the nation after California.

Hurricane Sandy

Christie's performance in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy resonated impressively with New Jersey voters, who rewarded Christie with peak job approval ratings. A Quinnipiac University Poll released on November 27, 2012 had Christie's approval rating soaring to 72%, compared to 56% in October and previous record high of 59% from April. The day before the poll was released, Christie announced his bid for re-election.

Judicial appointments

As governor, Christie is responsible for appointing judges to New Jersey state courts. In New Jersey, the governor makes a judicial appointment and the nominee must be confirmed by the New Jersey Senate. For an up-to-date list of all of Christie's appointees, see Judgepedia's page on his appointments.

Minimum wage amendment

On January 28, 2013, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie vetoed a proposed constitutional amendment that would increase minimum wage by $1, bringing it up to $8.50, within a few weeks of the potential law's enactment. Christie requested that the minimum wage be increased to $8.50, but over the span of two years instead of one year. However, legislators in support of the measure did not agree with Christie's proposal, and turned their efforts to placing the measure on the ballot instead of trying to enact the law immediately through Christie.

In New Jersey, the state legislature must approve a proposed amendment by a supermajority vote of 60%, but the same amendment can also qualify for the ballot if successive sessions of the New Jersey State Legislature approve it by a simple majority. According to Sheila Oliver, who sponsored the vetoed bill, the governor's proposed alternative was not good enough, stating, "Any proposal that lacks annual adjustments to ensure wages keep pace with the economy is not a real solution. Gov. Christie's callous action leaves us no choice but to send this matter to the voters." Reports suggest that Christie's concern with the proposal is that a minimum-wage increase would hurt the state's economy. The New Jersey Business and Industry Association backed Christie's action and his counter-proposal with the group's cice president, Stefanie Riehl, saying, "Small businesses are struggling in this economy and facing the daunting task of rebuilding after Sandy, and are not in a position to absorb a 17 percent wage increase all at once."

Presidential preference

2012

See also: Endorsements by state officials of presidential candidates in the 2012 election

Chris Christie endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.

Recall effort

The first musings of an attempt to recall Christie came in 2010, when he had been in office less than six months. The group NJ Against Chris Christie announced plans to mount a recall campaign against the governor for “Gross mismanagement of New Jersey finances by overspending taxpayers’ money, threatening public safety by cutting funds to local governments, failing to account for the exorbitant cost of property taxes, and failing in general to deal with the state’s major problems until they get to the crisis stage.” However, the effort did not materialize.

In 2011, Timothy O'Neill announced his organization, NJ-CAN, would seek to recall Christie either in late 2011 or early 2012. They will need to gather signatures from 25 percent of the registered voters in New Jersey, approximately 1,317,000, to force a recall election.

During the summer of 2011 some Democrats, including state party chair and Assemblyman John Wisniewski, had considered a full recall effort against Christie. The plan was reportedly dropped due to fears that if the effort failed it could strengthen the governor and Republicans.

Controversies

State employee compensation reform

Christie received significant criticism for his successful effort to reform state employee compensation during the summer of 2011. Ultimately, Christie and his supporters in the state legislature were able to pass a bill eliminating cost of living adjustments for state employees and suspending collective bargaining over health care compensation. 21 Democratic legislators -- 8 senators, including Senate President Stephen Sweeney and 14 assemblymen -- broke ranks with their colleagues to support the governor's reform bill.

The reaction from state union leaders, who strongly opposed reform efforts, was fierce. Christopher Shelton, an executive at the Communication Workers of America, compared Christie and his supporters to German fascists. According to Shelton, "the first thing the Nazis and Adolf Hitler did was go after the unions," adding "Welcome to Nazi Germany." The reform bill's Democratic supporters also faced retaliation from their erstwhile union allies; at an August meeting of the AFL-CIO labor union, members voted not to endorse Sweeney and Sen. Donald Norcross in their 2012 re-election campaigns.

Houston tribute

Following the premature death of Newark, New Jersey native Whitey Houston on February 11, 2012, Christie decided to pay tribute to the state's fallen icon by ordering the flags of government buildings to be flown at half-staff on the day of her funeral- a recognition ordinarily reserved for fallen servicemen and elected officials.

This deviation from custom, as well as Houston's highly-publicized struggle with substance abuse, raised many eyebrows, and in several cases incited indignation. Christie defended his decision by saying that Houston - a former resident of Christie's town of Mendham - was "a daughter of New Jersey, and an important part of the cultural fabric of this state.” He responded directly to accusations that he was “glorifying a drug user,” sent him via Twitter and other social media outlets, by maintaining the gesture was not an endorsement of Houston's lifestyle choices.

Elections

2013

See also: New Jersey gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2013

Putting to rest speculation that the rising GOP star was eying a higher office beyond his first term, Christie announced his bid for re-election as governor on November 26, 2012. He confirmed his candidacy in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, which devastated parts of New Jersey. The natural disaster offered the governor a critical opportunity to demonstrate his leadership skills; regarding his decision to seek a second term in 2013, Christie said, "I have a job to finish that I never anticipated six weeks ago happening...I just don't believe it would be right for me to leave now."

Christie handily defeated single challenger Seth Grossman in the Republican primary on June 4, 2013. He will face Democratic Party nominee Barbara Buono in the general election on November 5, 2013.

• Primary

Governor of New Jersey Republican Primary Election, 2013
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Chris Christie Incumbent	91.9%	202,280
Seth Grossman	8.1%	17,757
Total Votes		220,037
Election Results Via: New Jersey Department of State

Media

"Timeline" - Christie's third TV spot of the campaign, released May 22, 2013

"MEET Barbara Buono" - Second attack ad from Christie campaign, released May 17, 2013

"Barbara Buono Refuses To Rule Out Raising Taxes As Governor," - attack ad released by ChristieforNJ, May 16, 2013

Endorsements

Christie's 2013 re-election campaign has been endorsed by the following individuals and organizations:

• National Pipefitters Union
• Mayor of Harrison Raymond McDonough (D)
• Harrison Town Council
• Port Authority Police Benevolent Association
• Latino Leadership Alliance PAC
• State Sen. and Union City mayor Brian Stack (D)
• Paterson City Council President Anthony Davis (D)

Money in the campaign

Since 1977, New Jersey gubernatorial primary and general election candidates can qualify for a public funding program whereby candidates who raise a minimum amount of money are dispensed tax-generated funds, controlled by the state election law enforcement commission, in direct proportion to campaign donations given from the public. In 2013, the qualifying sum for primary gubernatorial candidates is $380,000. The purpose of the program is to lessen the influence of corporate contributions in elections. On February 2, 2013, presumptive Democratic nominee Barbara Buono's campaign reported that it had surpassed the $380,000 mark. By that time, Christie's campaign had already raised $2 million. Unlike in 2009, Christie said that he will not use matching funds in the 2013 primary.

In New Jersey, qualified candidates who choose to accept public funds may not spend more than $12.2 million on their gubernatorial campaigns. The maximum amount of public funds that any candidate may receive is $8.2 million. New Jersey employs a two-to-one matching program for qualified contributions. It is detailed in Title 19 Chapter 25 Sub Chapter 15 of the New Jersey State Statutes.

Race background

First term incumbent Gov. Chris Christie (R) announced his bid for re-election on November 26, 2012, the day before Quinnipiac University released a poll showing Christie's approval rating soaring to 72%, compared to 56% in October and previous record high of 59% from April. The peak job approval ratings from New Jersey voters were Christie's reward for his performance in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Polling figures have continuously reaffirmed Christie's place in the public's good graces leading up to the June 4 primary contest against challenger Seth Grossman, which Christie won by a landslide.

In early 2013, names of potential Democratic candidates for New Jersey Governor defected to a new list - supporters of presumptive nominee Barbara Buono, a state Senator. Buono was the only individual from her party to formally enter the race until the April 1 primary candidate filing deadline; Four additional Democrats ultimately filed for the Democratic primary nomination, as well as one Republican candidate. Petition challenges knocked three of the additional Democratic entrants off the primary ballot, and Buono easily overtook the one remaining opponent, Troy Webster, in the Democratic primary race on June 4.

In February, when Buono's campaign passed the $380,000 fundraising mark to qualify for the state's public matching-funds program, Christie had already raised $2 million for his re-election campaign. Unlike in 2009, Christie stated that he will not accept matching funds in the 2013 primary. By the time they filed their candidate nominating petitions, Christie had raised over $5 million, while Buono had $1 million. Despite Buono’s expanding campaign coffer and list of endorsements, which includes the Democratic Governors’ Association and EMILY's List, she faces an uphill battle in challenging Christie. The incumbency advantage aside, Christie’s fundraising prowess and popularity--especially since Hurricane Sandy--among heavyweights from both major parties shield him against an upset in November.

The New Jersey gubernatorial election was rated by the Washington Post as one of the top five races to watch in 2013.

Polls

New Jersey Governor's Race 2013
Response	Quinnipiac University Poll April 19-22, 2013	NBC News/Marist Poll (April 28-May 2, 2013)	Average
Barbara Buono (D)	26%	28%	27%
Chris Christie (R)	58%	60%	59%
Undecided	13%	10%	11.5%
Number polled	1,112	1,080	1,096
Margin of error	+/-2.9	+/-3.0%	2.95%
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

2009

Christie first won election in 2009, unseating incumbent governor Jon Corzine. He ran on a ticket with Kim Guadagno.

Governor and Lt. Governor of New Jersey, 2009
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Chris Christie and Kim Guadagno	48.5%	1,174,445
	Democratic	Jon Corzine and Loretta Weinberg Incumbent	44.9%	1,087,731
	Independent	Christopher Daggett and Frank Esposito	5.8%	139,579
	Independent	Kenneth Kaplan and John Paff	0.2%	4,830
	Independent	Gary Steele and Theresa Nevins	0.1%	3,585
	Independent	Jason Cullen and Gloria Leustek	0.1%	2,869
	Independent	David Meiswinkle and Noelani Musicaro	0.1%	2,598
	Independent	Kostas Petris and Kevin Davies	0.1%	2,563
	Independent	Gregory Pason and Costantino Rozzo	0.1%	2,085
	Independent	Gary Stein and Cynthia Stein	0.1%	1,625
	Independent	Joshua Leinsdorf and Ubaldo Figliola	0%	1,021
	Independent	Alvin Lindsay, Jr. and Eugene Harley	0%	753
	(None)	Personal Choice	0%	108
Total Votes				2,423,792

Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor information for Christie is available dating back to 2009. Based on available campaign finance records, Christie raised a total of $16,091,562 during that time period. This information was last updated on May 22, 2013.

Chris Christie's Campaign Contribution History
Year	Office	Result	Contributions
2011	New Jersey Governor		$-166,764
2009	New Jersey Governor		$16,258,326
Grand Total Raised			$16,091,562

2009

Ballotpedia collects information on campaign donors for each year in which a candidate or incumbent is running for election. The following table offers a breakdown of Chris Christie's donors each year. Click [show] for more information.

Chris Christie's Campaign Contributions
	2009 Governor of New Jersey
Total Raised	$5,858,326
Total Raised by General Election Opponent	$30,594,770 (Dem)
Top 5 contributors	Susan R Markham	$10,200
	Domenic M Dipiero III	$7,050
	Stephen P Roma	$6,800
	Friends of Jennifer Beck	$6,800
	Kathleen J Grano	$6,800
Individuals	$4,955,499
Institutions	$689,751
In-state donations	$4,908,395
Out-of-state donations	$905,161

Personal

He has been married since 1986 to Mary Pat Christie, nee Foster, whom he met at the University of Delaware. They have four children and reside in Mendham, New Jersey.

Recent news

This section displays the most recent stories in a google news search for the term "Chris + Christie + New + Jersey + Governor"

All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.

Chris Christie News Feed

• Chris Christie: Mets still my team - ESPN
• First Obama, Now Clinton: NJ Gov. Chris Christie Reaches Across Party Lines ... - ABC News
• New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie outbluffs himself - Hattiesburg American
• NJ Gov. Chris Christie Explains the Special Election Decision in a 'Slow Jam' - WNYC
• NJ Politics Roundup: Bill Clinton interviews Chris Christie; state Supreme ... - The Star-Ledger - NJ.com
• Poll: Chris Christie's coattails short in November election - MyCentralJersey.com
• NJ Gov. Chris Christie To Appear With Former President Bill Clinton - CBS Local
• Court backs legality of Gov. Chris Christie's special election - 7Online.com
• Gov. Chris Christie has field of options to fill Lautenberg's seat - NJ.com
• NJ Gov. Chris Christie ramps up 2016 speculation with late-night antics - Washington Times (blog)

See also

• Governor of New Jersey
• Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey
• Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno
• Portal:Elections
• Endorsements by state officials of presidential candidates in the 2012 election

External links

Suggest a link

• Christie for Governor 2013, Official Campaign Website
• Christie's campaign on Twitter
• Christie's campaign on Facebook
• Christie's campaign on YouTube

• Social media:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
• Biographies:
  • Nat. Governors Assoc.
  • NNDB
  • Project Vote Smart
  • Wikipedia
• Executive actions:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Fact-checking:
  • PolitiFact
• Financial:
  • Follow The Money
• Interest group ratings:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions:
  • On The Issues
  • Project Vote Smart
• Public statements:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Media appearances:
  • C-SPAN
  • IMDb
• Media coverage:
  • Bloomberg
  • Guardian
  • New York Times
  • Wall Street Journal
  • Washington Post

References

Political offices
Preceded by Jon Corzine (D)	Governor of New Jersey 2010-present	Succeeded by NA