Chris Christie to seek re-election

By Richard K. Barry

Did anyone think Chris Christie wouldn't run for re-election as governor of New Jersey? If you are one of those people, the suspense has ended. President Obama's bestest buddy in the whole world has officially launched his 2013 re-election bid, according to the Newark Star-Ledger:

"I don't want to leave now. We have a job to do," the 50-year-old Christie said at a press conference at the Port Monmouth Fire House in Middletown. "That job won't be finished by next year and so that's the other reason I wanted to reassure folks that for those of you who have been so kind and said so many wonderful things about the leadership that we provided. So many people have said to me over the last couple of weeks 'don't leave.' So guess what? I'm not leaving."

Also not surprising is that public opinion polls show Christie's popularity at record levels in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.  


If Newark Mayor Cory Booker runs, as some think he might, it would more or less clear the field. If not, it would be, in The Star-Ledger's terms, "a crowed, bitter, family feud":

Many names surface, including Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester); former Gov. Richard Codey, a state senator from Essex County; Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald (D-Camden); State Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex); EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson; Democratic State Chairman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex); and U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6th Dist.).

Given the bump Christie's handling of Sandy provided, even someone has high-profile as Booker could be scared off. As one clever pollster put it, "Bruce Springsteen would have to run against Chris Christie to make this a fair fight."

Maybe true, but November is a long way off and that's enough time for anyone to screw up. As I recall, before he morphed into some kind of comic book superhero, Chris Christie was a big-mouth lout who liked to bully people and talk about himself incessantly. I'm certain that guy will make a few appearances between now and election day.