Republican Chris Christie has taken an early lead in New Jersey, leading Gov. Jon Corzine 52 to 42 with 35 percent of precincts reporting. Chris Daggett, the Independent candidate, trails with six percent of the vote.
The all-important Independent vote appears to be going to Christie, with an early CNN exit poll showing 58 percent of Independents voting for the Republican candidate and only 33 percent going to Corzine. According to the poll, 28 percent of New Jersey voters are Independents.
CNN’s exit polling also shows that 38 percent of voters said they were looking for change as the number one quality in a candidate. Most of those voted for Christie.
