Posted on 06/04/2013 11:34:29 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called Tuesday for a special election later this year to decide who will fill the seat of the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg, though he did not say whom he might appoint in the interim.
The Republican governor, during a press conference in Trenton, said he wants to make sure New Jersey voters have a "voice and a choice"
He set the primary for Aug. 13 and the general election for Oct. 16.
The announcement ended some -- but not all -- of the speculation about Christie's handling of the open seat. Lautenberg, a Democrat and the oldest member of the U.S. Senate, died Monday after complications from viral pneumonia at age 89. While colleagues paid tribute to the legacy of the World War II veteran, political observers launched into heavy speculation on how the popular Republican governor would move to fill the position.
Christie faced conflicting state laws in deciding when to have the election. He could have waited until November 2014, or possibly this November. But Christie said Tuesday it was worth the expense to the state to hold a special election earlier.
"The citizens of New Jersey need to have an elected representative to the United States Senate and have it as soon as possible," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Um..no. I grew up in Jersey and know Governor Christie.
Knowing him and saying I would rather write in Lautenberg I think says it all.
Regardless, this is why I live in Texas.
What a brilliant and entirely self serving move. He avoids having to run in an election with booker on the ballot. He avoids having to be associated with a long term interim pick. He avoids having to go through the negative press the NJ Dems would have kicked up during a court battle over the conflicting legal statutes. And he gets to to sell the whole scheme as a matter of choice for the people of NJ, while asking the people of NJ to pick up the multi-million dollar tab. Brilliant.
He’s looking out for himself. Integrity is low on his list of priorities. Typical politician behavior...
...and the fat RINO punts.
Might not be “gutless”, but he’s certainly SPINELESS.
Say good bye to 2016.
That’s how we got Sen. Mark Warner. He played off the name of then-incumbent Sen. John Warner. He is a billionaire so $ didn’t mean anything in building his name ID. He ran for the Senate against former Sen. John Warner, knowing he didn’t have a prayer to be elected, but used that name ID the race established to run for gov, where he spent the single term allowed, then ran for the Senate when John retired. Excellent strategery.
It’s also how PA got Sen. Casey. In the latter case, he played off his dad’s name.
exactly
No, better off without one from Jersey.
Good post. In addition, appointing someone until Nov. 2014 wasn’t really an option, because the Democrat-controlled Supreme Court of New Jersey would have ruled that the special election couldn’t wait 18 months, and had to be held this November at the latest. By scheduling the election for mid-October, Christie still will get to pick someone to fill Lautenberg’s Senate vacancy; the only difference is that his term will end two weeks earlier than had the special election been scheduled for early November 2013.
Christie needs the GOP to win back the state senate in order to be able to appoint judges to the two Supreme Court vacancies (the Senate has blocked his prior nominations) so as to make the SCONJ less reflexively liberal; having a higher-turnout election this November (which would have been the case had there been a U.S. Senate election, particularly one with Cory Booker running, on that date) would have hurt the GOP’s chances of winning back the state senate.
Every New Jersey Republican should vote for the Democrat nominee in November. That would end Christie’s political career and a chance at a national spot in 2016.
24 million for this election a travesty!
$.33 cents a vote is your vote worth 33 cents NJ!
Ditto!
One of the things that this has done was pretty much insure the Dems cannot get to 60 votes. I am no fan of CC, but this move might have been inadvertently correct. Remember, we thought Toomey was a solid, this prevents a New jersey GOPer from “evolving”.
I knew tub’o’lard was an arrogant (fat) bastard the second he commuted Brian Aitken’s sentence rather than pardoning him.
I held my nose and voted for McCain, I begrudgingly voted for Romney. There is no way I will vote for this POS statist if he (God forbid) gets the nomination. FUCC.
As an adult, Christie attended over 100 Springstein concerts. This fat slob is mentally ill...and, apparently in love.
I heard he might appoint Corey Booker in the interim
And he will be the nominee in 2016.
Scary isn’t it.
Now for my opinion on what he has done with this..I have always thought the people should vote for the person taking over someone else job..The people should have the right to vote who ever they want in there even if just for a few months..I do know or think I do that Christie is doing this because of the elections coming up and his run for the presidency he knows if he puts someone that Obama wants in there he will have no chance..I believe Christie is a RINO and is kissing up to the Communist Muslim..
Someone posted on here yesterday” ...McCain is a democrat suicide bomber inside the GOP....
I’m thinking Creamy Goo is also one....just like McStain.
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