Christie names caretaker for U.S. Senate seat
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie named state Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa to the Senate seat of the late Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg.
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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