New Jersey's candidates for governor darted through the state on the last day of a campaign being billed as a vote on President Barack Obama's popularity.

Obama has made five appearances in New Jersey to make his case for Jon Corzine, the only Democratic governor seeking re-election, who is facing a tough challenge from Republican Chris Christie, a former prosecutor.

Republicans have not won statewide in New Jersey in a dozen years. Polls show the race a tossup heading into Tuesday, and a victory would sting the president in a state he carried by 15 percentage points a year ago.

Third-party candidate Chris Daggett, a former Environmental Protection Agency administrator, could influence the outcome.

Corzine and Christie divided their packed schedules Monday between battleground counties they see as must-wins, and counties they're likely to carry but need big pluralities to win overall.

They and Daggett all planned stops in Bergen, the state's most populous county, with 530,000 registered voters, nearly half unaffiliated with either major party.

The race will come down to whether Democrats can mobilize a significant turnout, particularly in cities, and whether voters who say they support Daggett stick with the independent despite his long odds, said Joseph Marbach, dean of Seton Hall University's College of Arts and Sciences in South Orange.

Obama urged 11,000 cheering supporters Sunday to give Corzine the same level of commitment given him. Continued...