New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie coasted to victory in last week’s gubernatorial election despite the state’s normal Democratic tilt, raising questions about his potential for the 2016 presidential election.
The governor took 60 percent of the vote over underfunded challenger, State Sen. Barbara Buono (D – Edison). In his victory speech, Christie thanked his family, the people of New Jersey and Buono for a spirited campaign. The governor also seemed eager to get back to work.
“I did not seek a second term to do small things,” Christie said. “I sought a second term to finish the job – now watch me do it.”
However, speculation of a future presidential run is undeniable after such a convincing win.
“I believe that there is a very good chance Christie will run for president in 2016,” Brendan Newell of DePaul College Republicans said. “I would contend that it would be the best moment in his political career to run for president.”
Christie’s ability to work across the aisle in blue New Jersey is a positive sign for a Republican Party that lost in 2012 when key voting blocs, most notably Hispanics, broke for President Obama and the Democrats.
“I would be surprised if Chris Christie didn’t run for President in 2016,” DePaul Democrats President Michael Rance said. “His campaign image of the Republican who’s able to work together with Democrats would play very well in the general election, but the only problem for him would be swaying the Tea Party wing of the GOP.”
While Christie celebrated in New Jersey, the GOP could not hold the governor’s mansion in Virginia as Democrat Terry McAuliffe, the former chair of the Democratic National Committee, defeated Republican and Tea Partyer Ken Cuccinelli, the state’s attorney general.
The election between the two unpopular candidates was close, and many pointed to the state’s changing demographics and social issues that became big campaign issues as the reasons behind the result.
“New Jersey is a blue state, and Christie has a likeable personality that mixes with a moderate Republican ideology creating the consummate Republican candidate suited for New Jersey’s Republican Party,” Newell said. “With regards to Cuccinelli, I think he would have been a more viable candidate in more conservative sections of America because of some of the issues that were brought up during the election.”
Elsewhere, municipal elections were held in many cities across the country, most notably in New York, where Bill de Blasio become the first Democrat to be elected mayor in over 20 years.
“Because of the strong progressive wins throughout the entire city government, New York is in the grasps of a really great American Liberal Renaissance of sorts,” Rance said.
The city’s Public Advocate, De Blasio, emerged from obscurity into prominence as he rode an anti-establishment wave to defeat several Democrats in the primary held a couple months ago, and last week to crush his Republican opponent in the general election.
“When candidates such as de Blasio are able to bring out the youth voters, progressives, minorities and the well-educated urban voters, liberals and progressives are destined to win,” Rance said.
Other notable results include the election of Detroit’s first white mayor in over 40 years, and election labor activist Martin Walsh as mayor of Boston.
And in Illinois election news, Gov. Pat Quinn recently named former CEO of Chicago Public Schools Paul Vallas as his running mate. The Quinn-Vallas ticket will face one of the four Republicans running in the primary. They are State Sen. Bill Brady, State Sen. Kirk Dillard, venture capitalist Bruce Rauner and Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford.
“Bill Brady lost by only a slight margin (to Quinn in 2010), and I think that Republicans are in a stronger position in the governor race than last time, so I am very confident that we will be seeing a Republican victory for our next gubernatorial election,” Newell said.
Primaries for the 2014 elections in Illinois will be held in March, while the general election will be held next November.