Lonegan Campaign: We've Got A Ballgame

Jillian Bandes | April 22, 2009 4:47 PM

New Jersey's GOP primary for the 2010 gubernatorial race got a little zesty with the release of a new Quinnipiac University poll showing once-long shot candidate Steve Lonegan now within 9 points of front-runner Chris Christie. Christie, a former Republican U.S. Attorney, has long assumed the cat was in his bag.

More importantly, the poll shows that if the election were held today, incumbent Dem. Gov. John Corazine would fall 45-38 against Christie and tie Lonegan at 41-41. That means the underdog has a fighting chance - not a bad thing, given the news earlier this month.

Any way you slice it, Corazine's disapproval rating climbed from 50 to 54% in May, meaning good things for the NJ GOP next fall.