‘The right thing is to let the people decide.’ — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (above), on his decision to hold a special election to fill the seat of late Sen. Frank Lautenberg (AP)
Saying he refuses to play politics with a US Senate seat, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced yesterday that there will be a special election in October to replace Sen. Frank Lautenberg, who died Monday at age 89.
“The right thing is to let the people decide,” Christie said from the Trenton State House, announcing that the primaries would be held on Aug. 13, followed by a general-election contest on Oct. 16.
Christie, widely considered a strong GOP contender in the 2016 race for the White House, had the option to appoint someone to serve through 2014, the end of Lautenberg’s term.
He also could have called a special election for Nov. 5, when Christie’s name will appear on the ballot in the gubernatorial election.
The decision to hold a separate special election drew quick fire from both parties, with Democrats and Republicans alike calling it a self-serving move.
Republicans privately fumed that Christie failed to give the party a helping hand by refusing to appoint one of their own to the seat until 2014.
Democrats suggested that he refused to schedule the election for Nov. 5 because it would have brought more Democrats to the polls and hurt his chances to score a gubernatorial-contest blowout against state Sen. Barbara Buono.
The separate election will cost the state treasury millions of dollars.
“The November general election date is what’s best for taxpayers and voter turnout,” Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver said. “It’s unquestionably the best option, but Gov. Christie has chosen to put partisan politics and his self-interest first.”
Dems will now have to scramble to conduct their August primary.
“Democrats will now face an ugly primary sprint between [Newark Mayor] Cory Booker and Congressmen Rob Andrews and Frank Pallone — all with substantial war chests and a healthy dislike for each other,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Brad Dayspring.
Christie still gets to appoint someone to fill the seat until October.
A GOP source said the decision could come this week.
The source said the governor called the early election to avoid a cascade of legal challenges that Democrats were expected to file.
Christie said it was “irresponsible” to wait any longer.
The move gives Booker, who has already announced that he plans to run, a serious advantage over other Democrats in the liberal-leaning state and hands Republicans little chance of retaking a seat they last won in 1972.
Meanwhile, former Met and Yankee pitcher Al Leiter said he’d be honored if the governor considered him.
“Who wouldn’t be interested if the governor of your state, for whatever reason of their due process, thought [you were] worthy, in their opinion?” he told ESPN.
“So, yeah, I would be interested.”
Leiter is a Republican donor and longtime pal of Met fan Christie.
Additional reporting by S.A. Miller and Geoff Earle