Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie was reelected on November 5, 2013 taking over 60 percent of the votes against Democratic candidate Barbara Buono.
Republican Christie is notorious for his blunt and “in your face” style of governing. During his time in office, he has implemented many controversial resolutions for our state. According to Washingtontimes.com, some of these decisions include vetoing gun control bills, banning anti-gay conversion therapy for minors, reducing aid to schools and local governments, and cutting the state’s property tax rebate program. Although controversy seems to follow New Jersey’s governor, Christie is recognized and praised for his strong determination in re-building New Jersey following Hurricane Sandy. Due to his ambitious nature and success in “restoring the shore,” he is being considered as a potential Republican candidate in the 2016 presidential election.
Christie ran against candidate and State Senator Barbara Buono. Although Christie was more widely known, Buono gained attention with her strong political view points and inspiring background. As reported in Huffingontpost.com, Buono’s father passed away when she was only 19 years old, leaving her with the struggle of pursuing college and a career on her own. After receiving food stamps at one point in her life, Buono continued to pursue her dreams and was able to get herself to where she is today. She went from struggling for a job to becoming the first woman State Senate Majority Leader and Budget Committee Chairperson.
Many New Jersey residents were intrigued by Buono’s strong beliefs. For instance, Huffingtonpost.com noted that Buono wants to help fix economic development issues, reenter in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in order to create more green energy jobs, and partner the state government to push for higher education in job creation areas. Brandenton.com also said that Buono supports gay marriage, which can be a contentious topic for some.
Throughout the election, Christie held a steady lead due to his popularity and strong campaigning. According to Politico.com, a Quinnipiac University poll, which surveyed 1,249 of New Jersey voters prior to the election, Christie was ahead of Buono by 30 percent. Christie had about 35 percent of the Democratic votes and also led 61 percent to 32 percent among women voters and 69 percent to 26 percent among men voters.
As the election approached, it was clear that no matter how controversial Christie’s way of governing may be to some, New Jersey was still pushing for him to come out on top. On November 5, New Jersey voters choose to keep Governor Chris Christie in office.