Gov. Christie Calls for Special Election to Fill U.S. Senate Seat

The governor’s race won’t be the only statewide office on New Jersey voters’ minds this year.

During a press conference in Trenton Tuesday, Gov. Chris Christie called for a special election to fill the seat left vacant by the death of longtime Sen. Frank Lautenberg. A primary will be held Aug. 13, with the special election scheduled for Oct. 16.

“Today, we begin the process of guaranteeing the voters of New Jersey have a voice in the process,” Christie said. “The issues the Senate is facing are too important for the people of New Jersey not to have an elected representative who represents the will of the voters.”

Christie has not announced an appointment to the seat but said he expects to name one by next week. Christie would not say who or how many people he was considering for the Senate seat.

The cost of holding the special election is not known, but Christie said the state would foot the bill. According to the Huffington Post, an independent analysis places the cost for the elections at almost $24 million, with each election running $11.9 million.

“The cost can’t be measured against the value of having an elected representative in the Senate,” Christie said.

Candidates will have two weeks to gather the required 1,000 signatures to get on the ballot for the primary.

“If a candidate for a statewide office can’t get 1,000 signatures in two weeks, they have no business running for office,” Christie said. “This is the same for everyone.”

Earlier in the day, the New Jersey Working Families Alliance joined with the Progressive Change Campaign Committee in calling for Christie to hold the special election with the general election.

As it stands, the special election will be held 20 days before the general. There has been speculation by several media outlets that the governor’s decision could result in legal action, but Christie said he was not concerned about possible litigation.

While a November 2014 election would haven given any possible Republican appointee the leg up of incumbency, members of Christie's own party were quick to praise the decision. New Jersey Senate Republican Whip Kevin O’Toole called the governor's move “gutsy and courageous.”

“Conventional wisdom says you should select a hand-selected representative to fill out the term, but the governor put it in the hands of the people and I agree with his decision wholeheartedly,” O’Toole said.

However, state Democrats disputed the need for a special election, citing cost and proximity to the general election.

New Jersey Democratic Party Chairman John S. Wisniewski, who told The Star-Ledger Monday that state law should force a November race, said Christie's decision was a "blatantly political move" that would cost residents $12 million.

"Chris Christie’s decision speaks more to his national political ambitions than his responsibility to the residents of New Jersey as Governor," Wisniewski said in prepared statement.

State Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex), Christie’s presumptive opponent in the gubernatorial, called for Christie to change the date of the special election. While Senate President Stephen Sweeney was pleased with the governor’s decision to hold the special election, he questioned the timing.

“Waiting 17 months to allow the public to have their say simply wasn’t an option. That being said, it certainly would have been more rational to hold the election in November instead of October," Sweeney said in a release.