Christie stumping for Republican candidates nationally
Until last week, however, you couldn't spot Christie on the campaign trail in New Jersey.
The governor - who has traveled out of state on at least 23 days since Labor Day - started the week stumping with Jeff Bell, who is running a long-shot campaign against U.S. Sen. Cory Booker. On Thursday, he dropped by the Mastoris Diner in Bordentown with Tom MacArthur, who is competing with Democrat Aimee Belgard for the seat of retiring Republican U.S. Rep. Jon Runyan, in Burlington and Ocean Counties.
As opposition researchers for Democratic groups trailed Christie and MacArthur with cameras, the governor said he had heard a lot of anxiety from voters around the country.
"That's why a race like this in the Third Congressional District is so important," Christie said. "We need to have somebody like Tom, who has a background in business and common sense to go in there and try to reach around the aisle and get some things done."
In addition to the two public events, Christie has helped raise money behind closed doors for New Jersey candidates - and at one fund-raiser open to the media with former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, an event that state party officials said netted $600,000.
In all, Christie has participated in 20 events for New Jersey Republicans, including U.S. Reps. Frank LoBiondo, Rodney Frelinghuysen, and Leonard Lance, and Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan, said Nicole Sizemore, a state Republican Party spokeswoman. He also has signed on to fund-raising e-mails on behalf of candidates, she said.
The party didn't have information last week on any forthcoming in-state campaign events involving Christie, who said Monday he would spend 11 of the remaining 15 days before the election on the road but would support New Jersey candidates when he was home.
At this point, however, "there's very little he can do," said Patrick Murray, a political analyst at Monmouth University.
"If there was anybody who had been on the edge, in terms of the possibility of them being successful in a tight race, they needed that help sooner than now," Murray said.
Extra support could have boosted candidates in Bergen County, he said, including Rep. Scott Garrett. A Monmouth poll this month showed Garrett up by 5 points over Democratic challenger Roy Cho. On Thursday, Christie said he hadn't been asked to visit on Garrett's behalf. Garrett's campaign did not return messages.
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Christie stumping for Republican candidates nationally