With special election decision, Christie helps himself too - First Read:
In a decision with implications for his own re-election this fall, the
next presidential campaign and the GOP in Washington, New Jersey
Republican Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday called for a special election to
be held this year to choose the successor to the late Democratic Sen. Frank
Lautenberg. Christie announced at a press conference that he had opted against
appointing a successor to Lautenberg to serve until the 2014 election, and
scheduled a general election on Oct. 16. The primary will be held in August.
Christie also said he would appoint an interim senator to serve between now and
November, though he explained that he had not decided on that temporary
appointee yet. But Christie’s decision to hold a special election in October
could also be a gamble, leaving the governor open to criticisms of making a
self-serving decision and causing a hefty financial cost to the state that
could run as high as $24 million for the special election. Christie said he
wasn’t aware of what the cost would be – but in typical Christie fashion, said
it didn’t matter. “I don’t know what the cost is, and quite frankly I don’t
care,” he said. A Republican who does
not care about the cost of government…
