Christie on Delays in Sandy Aid: "Please Be Patient"

Plans are being formulated at the state level for how to spend Hurricane Sandy relief aid, but the money hasn't come in yet.

  The state is developing plans for how and where to best allocate Hurricane Sandy relief aid, writing proposals for putting together lists for its various relevant agencies, from Housing and Urban Development to the Department of Transportation. The money will come, Gov. Chris Christie told a crowd in Union Beach Tuesday, and it will be used to rebuild New Jersey and get residents back into their hurricane-ravaged homes. Be patient, he said, the check hasn't been written yet. Christie joined other local legislators in celebration after a $50.7 billion hurricane relief bill passed in a contentious U.S. House of Representatives in January before heading off to the U.S. Senate for approval and finally to President Barack Obama’s desk for a …

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Does the Republican Party Need More Leaders Like Christie?

A column posted on 'The Daily Beast' touts officials like New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as the solution to the GOP's problems.

Does the Republican Party need more leaders like New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie? It does, according to an column posted on The DailyBeast.com Wednesday. Columnist John Avlon wrote in the article that Christie is the example other Republicans should be looking to amidst the GOP's "existential crisis." "The 2012 ass-kicking is forcing Republicans to confront their deepest demons—namely, that they cannot simply write off whole regions of the country and remain a viable national party," Avlon wrote. "They cannot afford to alienate the fastest-growing communities of color in the USA. They cannot win a war against modernity." Avlon noted that Christie has maintained largely favorable ratings from voters in a state that went to President Barack …

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Booker Mulling Senate Run, Won't Challenge Christie

Speculation about Newark mayor's plans swirled for months

  Newark Mayor Cory Booker ended months of speculation Thursday when he announced that he was considering a run for US Senate. “[ I ] will complete my full second term as mayor. As for my political future, I will explore the possibility of running for The United States Senate in 2014,” said Booker in a statement released shortly before noon. Political observers in the state and beyond have speculated whether Booker, 43, a Rhodes scholar and Bergen County native, would run for governor against Chris Christie in 2013 or seek the Senate seat now held by Booker’s fellow Democrat Frank Lautenberg. Lautenberg, at 88 the Senate’s oldest member, has not announced any plans to step down when his term expires in 2014. In his statement, Booker’s …

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Report: Booker Leaning Toward Senate Run

Mayor would go for Lautenberg's seat in '14, paper says

  The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Newark Mayor Cory Booker appears likely to seek the US Senate seat currently held by fellow Democrat Frank Lautenberg.  At a July appearance in Bergen County, Booker confirmed long-held suspicions he might be seeking higher office, announcing his interest in running either for Senate or against popular Republican Gov. Chris Christie. Earlier this month, Booker vowed to make his decision before Christmas.   In an October poll, Booker had the strongest showing among a hypothetical field of Democrats against Christie, with the mayor coming within a few percentage points of the first-term governor. But a subsequent poll, taken after Christie’s widely praised performance during Hurricane Sandy, …

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State News: Medicaid Expansion Supporters Build Case on Potential Savings

Senate panel urges Christie to increase eligibility for low-income program.

  Advocates for expanding eligibility for Medicaid in New Jersey are attempting to make their case in financial terms, but it remains to be seen whether they have developed enough evidence to convince a skeptical Gov. Chris Christie. Several policy experts endorsed a resolution that was advanced by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee on Monday that urged Christie to support the expansion. Committee Chairman Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex) sponsored the resolution.   Ray Castro, senior policy analyst for New Jersey Policy Perspective, said the expansion is “financially a great deal” because the federal government would cover the entire cost of the expansion for the first three years, before the state share would…

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Lt. Governor Extends Deadline for Email, Fax Voting Until Friday

Confusion, delays and an inundation of ballots caused Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno to extend voting deadline until 8 p.m. on Friday.

Report: Booker Considering Run for Governor

Newark mayor says he is meeting with Democratic county chairs on Obama's behalf

Cory Booker is eyeing a run for New Jersey governor in 2013, according to reports. The Newark mayor and his political consultant Mark Matzen have reportedly been meeting with state Democratic county chairs to discuss challenging Republican Gov. Chris Christie, according to PolitickerNJ. Some see Booker as the best candidate to run against Christie, the publication also reported. "He’s the most viable candidate who comes to mind at this moment," said Charlotte DeFilippo, chair of the Union County Democratic Committee, PolitickerNJ reported. Booker, who has been traveling the country in recent months to stump for President Barack Obama with whom he's been closely tied to since 2007, deferred questions about a possible gubernatorial run last …

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