With the passing of Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., Governor Chris Christie had a very difficult decision to make regarding who would fill the Senate vacancy. By announcing a special election to be held in October Christie has made a surprising choice that has angered both Republicans and Democrats alike, according to the Washington Post.
Christie was originally thought to have one of two options under New Jersey law; add the Senate race to the general election this November or to appoint a Senator to serve until the end of Lautenberg's term in November of 2014, according to NBC News.
In a press conference to announce the decision to hold an October election Christie explained his thinking.
"I firmly believe that the decisions that need to be made are too great to be determined by an appointee for a period of 18 months," Christie said. "We must allow our citizens to have their say."
Democrats were quick to attack Christie for his decision saying that it was made for political reasons. Cory Booker, the popular Democratic mayor of Newark, announced his interest in running for Senate months ago and is thought to be the likely candidate. The thought is that Christie wants to avoid sharing the ballot with Booker in November because it may drive more Democrats to the polls, which could hurt the Republican governor even though he has a 30 point lead currently, according to Politico.
The editorial board of the New Jersey Star-Ledger wrote a scathing article about the governor's plan.
"Gov. Christie's decision to hold the U.S. Senate election three weeks before the general election is a shameless move that will waste at least $12 million and risk the integrity of the vote," the editorial read. "This is naked self-interest. And as skilled as the governor is at political spin, that fact is obvious to all."
State Sen. Barbara Buono, Christie's opponent in November, called the move "cynical and arrogant," according to Politico.
Members of Christie's party also disliked the decision. Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey lambasted the governor while appearing on CNN.
"This is what really rankles conservatives," Armey said. "There's not a Democratic governor alive that wouldn't have seized the opportunity to appoint a Democratic Senator. All Christie had to do was appoint a Republican. Now, I put it down as debilitating stupidity, because the first rule of politics is don't lose the friends you already have for the friends you're never going to get."
