Chris Christie, the New Jersey governor who emerged as a bipartisan hero for his pre-election efforts to work with the administration of President Obama (a frequent target of criticism from Christie in the past), will be running again in 2013 in a bid for a second term at the helm of the state.
Chris Christie’s decision to run again is no big surprise, but it was confirmed nonetheless today as the GOP governor filed documents as confirmed to press by a political adviser to Christie, Mike DuHaime.
Christie pushed former Jersey governor and Democrat Jon Corzine out of the way in 2009, and given his profile after Sandy, any politician who takes on the incumbent candidate will have a rough road in defeating him.
It is not yet clear who will challenge Christie for his governor’s seat, but if current buzz bears out, the stakes will be very high indeed. One man is being suggested as a potential contender, and if anyone can beat Chris Christie it’s this guy — Cory Booker.
Booker is the young and vibrant mayor of Newark, and one of the few local politicians on the national stage that could stand up against Christie in terms of charisma, reach and likability. (We speculated on this very matchup, Christie vs. Booker, back in the summer and prior to the watershed political event that Sandy became.)
The Washington Post surmises that Booker is the forerunner for Democrats in the state, speculating:
” … Booker is mulling a bid and his decision-making process was pushed back by the impact of Superstorm Sandy on the Garden State. Booker is also believed to be considering a 2014 Senate run … If Booker runs, the New Jersey governor’s race would instantly become the highest profile statewide contest of 2013.”
“Christie’s once discouraging polling numbers have improved, and though he is running in a Democratic-leaning state, Republicans believe he is in a strong position to wage a solid reelection bid.”
Party lines, the pair have a cordial political relationship, with Booker recently praising Christie ‘s across the aisle reach after the storm.
Chris Christie has also widely been expected to seek the GOP nod in the 2016 presidential campaign, but many Republicans are still smarting and blame the governor for hurting Mitt Romney’s chances .