Politicschris christie barbara buono chris christie bridge scandalPolitics

Chris Christie Was Leading In Polls By 25 Points During The Bridge Scandal

Chris Christie Was Leading In Polls By 25 Points During The Bridge Scandal
Ariel Edwards-Levy
By 

Senior Reporter and Polling Editor, HuffPost

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie looks out over a crowd during a gathering at Colin Powell elementary school in heavily Hispanic Union City, N.J., Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014, after he ceremonially signed a bill that lowers tuition costs at public colleges for New Jersey students who lack lawful immigration status. Christie signed the bill privately last month. New Jersey is one of the most recent states to pass the so-called "DREAM Act" legislation, which extends cheaper in-state tuition rates to qualifying students who were brought illegally to the U.S. as children. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie looks out over a crowd during a gathering at Colin Powell elementary school in heavily Hispanic Union City, N.J., Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014, after he ceremonially signed a bill that lowers tuition costs at public colleges for New Jersey students who lack lawful immigration status. Christie signed the bill privately last month. New Jersey is one of the most recent states to pass the so-called "DREAM Act" legislation, which extends cheaper in-state tuition rates to qualifying students who were brought illegally to the U.S. as children. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

When a top aide to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) decided to cause "traffic problems" in a town whose mayor declined to endorse the governor, it wasn't because Christie was in dire need of an extra electoral boost in his 2013 reelection campaign.

On Aug. 13, 2013, the day Christie's deputy chief of staff, Bridget Anne Kelly, wrote an email suggesting it was "time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee," Christie was leading his Democratic rival, Barbara Buono, by an average of about 27 points. On Sept. 8, when the closure of two of Fort Lee's access lanes to the busy George Washington Bridge were ordered, he was 25 points ahead.

"Christie-Buono looks like a walk-away. The governor's job approval is stratospheric," a pollster for Quinnipiac University wrote.

New Jersey State Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg speculated to Talking Points Memo in December that Christie wanted to ensure his victory over Buono was a "complete wipeout," as well as build his image of bipartisanship by collecting endorsements from Democrats like Fort Lee's mayor, Mark Sokolich.

Christie ended up winning Fort Lee with about 55 percent of the vote.

Speaking on Wednesday night, Christie denied any involvement in the scandal, which he referred to as "inappropriate and unsanctioned conduct."

Before You Go

Robert Bentley (R-Ala.)

United States Governors

|
Submit a tip

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot