RNC Chairman Michael Steele issued the following statement on Republican Chris Christie’s win Tuesday in the New Jersey gubernatorial election. Here’s the full text:
“Tonight, Chris Christie exceeded all expectations by charging to victory in the heart of Democrat country. I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to Chris on becoming New Jersey’s next governor and in a special way I congratulate Kim Guadagno on becoming New Jersey’s first lieutenant governor. Governor-elect Christie’s message of lower-taxes and less spending clearly resonated with voters in New Jersey who were looking for a solution to Jon Corzine’s failed economic leadership. There is no doubt in my mind that Chris and Kim will provide New Jerseyans with the direction they need and will finally make their state more affordable again.
“This election victory that by all accounts should have been a landslide for Democrats is a credit not only to the outstanding campaign that Chris ran, but to the incredible organization that the Republican Party was able to build in the state. Grassroots operations were set up and thrived in parts of the state that hadn’t heard from the Republican Party in decades. In the coming election year, we will continue these investments and look forward to reaping the benefits on behalf of hard-working taxpayers.
“In a state that overwhelmingly voted in favor of President Obama, this stunning defeat of Corzine sends a clear message to Democrats across the country. Americans have grown sick and tired of big government and reckless spending, and this vote is a sound rejection of the far-left policies that are hurting our nation. While the White House sent their political machine to New Jersey in full force – President Obama and Vice President Biden each campaigning in the state 3 times – even that was not enough to convince voters to ignore the realities of their harmful liberal agenda. I fully expect this trend to continue in the coming months, and President Obama and Democrats should have reason to fear the upcoming elections in 2010.”
