New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie this week named a longtime friend and fellow Republican, state Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa, to the Senate seat of the late Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg. Chiesa’s appointment gives the Republicans a 46-seat Senate minority until October’s special election, in which Chiesa will not be a candidate. Some conservatives had hoped Christie would name a Republican who could use the time in the Senate to build up electoral support for a run in October. Steve Lonegan, a conservative activist and former small-town mayor, is one of two Republicans registered to run. Four Democrats have qualified to run, with Newark Mayor Cory Booker considered the early front-runner.
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