lt. gov. kim guadagno. | ap photo/mel evans by matt friedman 11/09/16 01:21 pm est get used to saying governor guadagno. the ripple effects of donald trump<u+2019>s presidential win will reach the governor<u+2019>s office in trenton if christie moves on to a national role in or around the trump administration. story continued below that would make lt. gov. kim guadagno governor for the final year of christie<u+2019>s term, giving her a big advantage in the gop primary if she runs for governor next year. and all indications so far are that she will. <u+201c>she becomes governor and exercises all the full powers of the office,<u+201d> said carl golden, who worked as a spokesman for republican govs. christie whitman and tom kean. <u+201c>it certainly is a benefit to be running in the republican primary as the incumbent governor, regardless of how you got there. it gives you access not just to organization, which is incredibly important in a primary, but it gives you access to money.<u+201d> guadagno, who would be new jersey's second woman governor, has been positioning herself to run to replace christie since the spring, when she announced the formation of a nonprofit aimed ostensibly at growing new jersey<u+2019>s economy. the group, building a better new jersey together, also happens to employ bill stepien, the top christie gubernatorial campaign manager and former deputy chief of staff who was banished from christie world over his role in the bridgegate controversy. technically, if christie moves on, guadagno would be acting governor for the first 180 days after his departure. after that, she would be known as <u+201c>governor of the state of new jersey<u+201d> for both official and historical purposes, according to a 2006 law. a year as governor would dramatically boost guadagno's name recognition without her having to rely on paid advertising for two of the nation<u+2019>s most expensive media markets. and the power that the governorship gives to reward allies and punish adversaries was aptly demonstrated by christie<u+2019>s administration, even if it became his political undoing in the bridgegate trial. guadagno did not respond to a request for comment, but has said she<u+2019>ll make a decision about seeking the governorship sometime after tuesday<u+2019>s election. republican assemblyman jack ciattarelli is already in in the race, and says he won<u+2019>t be deterred by incumbency. <u+201c>one of the reasons why i declared early was to gauge interest among the republican ranks as to whether or not people want a choice from the june primary.<u+201d> ciattarelli said. <u+201c>every indication i<u+2019>ve received in the five weeks i<u+2019>ve been out there going up and down the state is that they do. in that respect, trump<u+2019>s election and christie<u+2019>s potential migration changes nothing as far as i<u+2019>m concerned.<u+201d> despite guadagno<u+2019>s advantageous position, she took a loss on tuesday night. through radio appearances, social media and emails, she had urged voters to defeat a constitutional amendment to fully dedicate gas tax revenues to the transportation trust fund, becoming the movement<u+2019>s most high profile backer. in the end, the amendment passed. despite the loss, the move helped guadgano distance herself from the unpopular christie after six years as a background player in his administration, standing silently behind him at press conferences and working as his liaison with the business community. she broke with the governor last month in announcing she would not back trump, and publicly fought with his office over the ballot question. guadagno<u+2019>s hold on the governorship, if temporary, might also complicate democrats<u+2019> attempt to wrest back the office after eight years. democrats, expecting trump to lose and christie to remain in place, were extremely confident. phil murphy, the millionaire former goldman sachs executive and u.s. ambassador to german, has almost wrapped up the nomination by forcing out most of his competitors before they even started running. but it<u+2019>s looking less likely democrats will be running against the christie legacy for an open seat. <u+201c>i think her major task is going to say a, 'i<u+2019>m prepared to be governor,' and b, 'i<u+2019>m going to be my own person,'<u+201d> golden said. <u+201c>she has to make that case. it<u+2019>s going to be difficult because presumably phil murphy is going to be the democratic nominee and if he does not take public funding, which is presumably the case, he<u+2019>s going to spend whatever it takes and that<u+2019>s going to be tough.<u+201d> matt friedman's must-read briefing on the garden state's important news of the day our morning email about new jersey health care policy and politics a morning email with must-read analysis and breaking news on new jersey politics and policy. matt friedman's must-read briefing on the garden state's important news of the day
guadagno could get incumbency advantage, with christie potentially leaving for trump
matt friedman