http://www.app.com/article/20130126/NJNEWS1002/301260106/New-N-J-laws-from-last-session-168-year-low
I realize Christie is fat and he talks funny. But he's not going to run for anything as a Democrat. If there was any question, the saga of Arlen Specter should convince any Republican with with half a brain who had an idle fantasy about switching of how the 'rats treat turncoats.
Whoever Christie appoints is just in office until the November election. That may or may not be someone who is actually going to run this November. Whoever wins the November election then needs to stand for election again in November 2014.
Other considerations are what a US Senate race does to voter turnout demographics for the gubernatorial and state legislature races in November. This is all going to be "interesting" (old Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting times"). I'd love to be a fly on the wall of Christie's office today.
Former NJ Governors Tom Kean (age 78) and Christie Whitman (age 66) come to immediate mind. (Both are pretty liberal by today's Republican party standards.) Can anyone think of any other NJ Republicans with name recognition who haven't gotten their butts kicked in statewide elections? I can't.
Steve Forbes!
I don’t think the seat is contested in November 2013 but November 2014; I think the appointment is good for seventeen months.