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WASHINGTON (CNN) - Republican Chris Christie has defeated Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine in New Jersey, CNN projects.

Republican New Jersey Gubernatorial hopeful Chris Christie exits the voting booth after casting his vote (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

(CNN) - With 28 percent of the vote counted in New Jersey's gubernatorial race, Republican Chris Christie leads Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine 50 percent to 44 percent. Independent candidate Christopher Daggett has 6 percent of the votes counted so far.

(CNN) - With just hours to go until Election day, two new polls suggest New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine's in a statistical tie with his Republican challenger, Chris Christie.

According to a Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind survey released Monday afternoon, 43 percent of likely New Jersey voters back Corzine, the Democratic incumbent fighting for a second term, and 41 percent support Christie, the former federal prosecutor in the Garden State. Eight percent back independent candidate Chris Daggett, and 7 percent support other candidates, or are undecided.

Corzine's 2-point advantage is well within the poll's sampling error. Christie was up 2 points over Corzine in a Fairleigh Dickenson University survey released Friday.
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The New Jersey race is too close to call.

(CNN) – With one day to go until Election day, a new poll suggests New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine's in a statistical tie with his Republican challenger, Chris Christie.

According to a Quinnipiac University survey released Monday morning, 42 percent of likely New Jersey voters back Christie, the former federal prosecutor in the Garden State, with 40 percent supporting Corzine, the Democratic incumbent fighting for a second term, and 12 percent backing Independent candidate Chris Daggett. Six percent remain undecided.

Christie's two point advantage is well within the poll's sampling error. A Quinnpiac University survey released Wednesday indicated that Corzine held a 5 point lead, just within in the poll's sampling error. Christie was up 2 points over Corzine in a Fairleigh Dickenson University survey released Friday. Most surveys in New Jersey over the past seven weeks have suggested that Corzine and Christie were deadlocked, with Daggett in the low double digits.

The poll indicates that 38 percent of Daggett supporters say they might change their mind. Thirty-nine percent say Corzine is their second choice, while 29 percent say Christie is number two. Only one in ten Christie backers and just 13 percent of Corzine backers say they might change their mind.

"Daggett is the key to an incredibly close New Jersey election," says Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

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Candidates and outside groups have spent nearly $37 million on ads in New Jersey.

WASHINGTON (CNN)– Candidates and outside groups in New Jersey's highly contested gubernatorial race have spent nearly $37 million dollars on advertising since May.

Incumbent Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine's campaign tops the charts spending nearly $19 million dollars on 10,161 advertisements compared to the nearly $9 million spent by Republican challenger Chris Christie. Independent candidate Chris Daggett has spent $257,447 on advertisements in the state according to analysis by TNSMI-CMAG, CNN's consultant on political advertising.

Corzine, who is estimated to be spending nearly $2 million a week on advertising has been increasingly negative in his ads, a move seen by many as a means to close the gap in the polls.

Evan Tracey, of TNSMI-CMAG, said according to his analysis, Corzine is well on track to spend more than $20 million by Tuesday when voters head to the polls.

The Republican Governors Association is lending a helping hand to Christie, spending just over $5 million on 6,032 advertisements. The Mid Atlantic Leadership Fund, a Washington based firm which usually backs Democratic candidates, has spent nearly $2 million on behalf of Corzine's campaign for re-election.

Late October polls show Corzine and Christie polling neck-and-neck, while Independent candidate Chris Daggett continues to make gains, primarily peeling support away from the Republican challenger.

The race for NJ governor appears to be a dead heat.'

(CNN) - With four days until Election Day, a new poll suggests that New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine is tied with his Republican challenger, Chris Christie.

According to a Fairleigh Dickinson University survey released Friday morning, 41 percent of likely New Jersey voters back Christie, the former federal prosecutor in the Garden State, with 39 percent supporting Corzine, the Democratic incumbent fighting for a second term, and 14 percent backing Independent candidate Chris Daggett.

Christie's 2 point lead is well with in the poll's sampling error.

A Quinnipiac University survey released Wednesday morning indicated that Corzine held a 5 point advantage over Christie, just within that poll's sampling error. Most surveys in New Jersey over the past six weeks have suggested that Corzine and Christie were deadlocked, with Daggett in the low double digits.

"At this point, anyone who says their vote doesn't count is mistaken," says Peter Woolley, director of the Fairleigh Dickinson poll.

"In most races - including the one in Virginia this year - the outcome hinges on turnout," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "But in New Jersey, the outcome is likely to be determined by the size of the vote for minor-party candidates. If turnout is relatively high but all the extra voters choose an independent candidate, that won't affect the margin between the Democrat and the Republican."

The Fairleigh Dickinson University poll was conducted October 22-28, with 694 New Jersey likely voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

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Chris Christie wants Jon Corzine to 'man up.'

(CNN) - Chris Christie wants Jon Corzine to "man up" and come right out and say the New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate is fat.

Speaking on Don Imus' morning show Thursday, Christie called alleged efforts by the Corzine campaign to subtly invoke his weight "silly."

"If you're going to do it, at least man up and say I'm fat," Christie said on the show. "Afterwards [Gov. Corzine] wusses out and says, 'Oh no, no, I didn't mean that, I don't know what you're talking about.' Man up - if you say I'm fat let's go, let's talk about it."

In a Corzine ad released last month, a rotund Christie is shown emerging from a car in slow motion shortly after the narrator declares the former federal prosecutor "threw his weight around" to get government favors.

Corzine has insisted the ad is not meant to be a reference to Christie's weight but rather what the New Jersey Democrat describes as the "special treatment" he procured from his position.

But in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer Monday, Corzine said that in retrospect, the ad should have used different wording than "threw his weigh around."

Corzine now holds a 5 point lead, according to a new poll.

(CNN) - With six days until Election Day, a new poll suggests that New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine leads his Republican challenger, Chris Christie, by 5 points.

According to a Quinnipiac University survey released Wednesday morning, 43 percent of likely New Jersey voters back Corzine, the Democratic incumbent fighting for a second term, 38 percent support Christie, the former federal prosecutor in the Garden State, and 13 percent back Independent candidate Chris Daggett.

Corzine's 5 point lead is just with in the poll's sampling error. The race between Corzine and Christie was tied up in Quinnipiac's last poll, which came out two weeks ago. Most surveys in New Jersey over the past month have suggested that Corzine and Christie were deadlocked, with Daggett in the mid teens.

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Corzine nearly exhausts self-funded campaign war chest.

(CNN) – Despite pouring millions into his re-election bid from his personal fortune, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine finds himself entering the final stretch before Election Day with significantly less money in his campaign warchest than his publicly financed Republican opponent.

According to documents released Tuesday by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, the Democratic incumbent had only $412,410 in his general election campaign account as of October 20, despite having kicked in $22.6 million from personal funds. Corzine's chief opponent, Republican Chris Christie, had $2.9 million in available cash to spend on the final days of the campaign.

Unlike Corzine, both Christie and independent candidate Chris Daggett participated in the state's public matching funds program, designed in part to reduce a candidate's need to raise campaign funds. Christie received the maximum $7.3 million in public funds and raised an additional $4.4 million from contributors for a total of $11.7 million raised for the general election. Daggett raised a total of $1.3 million for the general election, almost $727,000 of which came from public funding.

Corzine's spending to date has more than doubled that of Christie and Daggett combined. The governor has spent $23.6 million since winning the Democratic nomination for a second term, while Christie has spent $8.8 million in the same period. Daggett has spent $1.2 million.

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Gov. Corzine insisted Monday that a controversial ad was not about his Republican challenger's weight.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine said Monday that a recent ad about his Republican challenger should have used a different expression than "threw his weight around," a turn-of-phrase which some political observers took as an effort to ridicule Chris Christie because of his waistline.

Late last month, the Democratic governor released a campaign ad that focused on what the Corzine campaign views as Republican Christie's track record of using his status as a U.S. attorney to gain special treatment in New Jersey. But the ad measured accusations by "weight."

"If you drove the wrong way down a one-way street, causing an accident and putting the victim in a trauma center...would you get away without a ticket?" the announcer said in the 30-second Corzine television ad. "Chris Christie did...."

"Christie threw his weight around as U.S. attorney and got off easy," the ad said.

In a recent debate and last week on CNN's "Situation Room," Christie directly responded to the ad's implication about his size.

"I'll let all of your audience in on a little secret," Christie told CNN's Wolf Blitzer last Wednesday, "I'm overweight and I've struggled with my weight for the last 30 years on and off and that's the way it is."

Christie also told Blitzer that he thought the Corzine ad was "beneath the office [Corzine] holds," and the New Jersey Republican slammed his opponent for not admitting that the ad was targeted at his weight rather than his conduct.

Appearing on "Situation Room" Monday, Corzine insisted that the controversial ad was meant to highlight Christie's behavior.

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Gov. Corzine insisted Monday that a controversial ad was not about his Republican challenger's weight.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine said Monday that a recent ad about his Republican challenger should have used a different expression than "threw his weight around," a turn-of-phrase which some political observers took as an effort to ridicule Chris Christie because of his waistline.

Late last month, the Democratic governor released a campaign ad that focused on what the Corzine campaign views as Republican Christie's track record of using his status as a U.S. attorney to gain special treatment in New Jersey. But the ad measured accusations by "weight."

"If you drove the wrong way down a one-way street, causing an accident and putting the victim in a trauma center...would you get away without a ticket?" the announcer said in the 30-second Corzine television ad. "Chris Christie did...."

"Christie threw his weight around as U.S. attorney and got off easy," the ad said.

In a recent debate and last week on CNN's "Situation Room," Christie directly responded to the ad's implication about his size.

"I'll let all of your audience in on a little secret," Christie told CNN's Wolf Blitzer last Wednesday, "I'm overweight and I've struggled with my weight for the last 30 years on and off and that's the way it is."

Christie also told Blitzer that he thought the Corzine ad was "beneath the office [Corzine] holds," and the New Jersey Republican slammed his opponent for not admitting that the ad was targeted at his weight rather than his conduct.

Appearing on "Situation Room" Monday, Corzine insisted that the controversial ad was meant to highlight Christie's behavior.

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Republican Chris Christie and Independent Chris Daggett trail Gov. Jon Corzine, a new poll suggests.

(CNN) – With eight days left until voters go to the polls, a new survey suggests that New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine has opened up a 9 point lead over his Republican challenger, former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie.

Most polls in New Jersey over the past month have indicated that the race between Corzine and Christie was tied or within the margin of error, with Independent candidate Chris Daggett polling in the low double digits.

But according to a Suffolk University poll released Monday, 42 percent of likely Garden State voters back Corzine, while 33 percent support Christie and 7 percent back Daggett. Fourteen percent of those questioned said they are undecided.

"That 14 percent figure is high compared to other recent New Jersey polls, which have shown the undecideds closer to six or seven percent," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "That may account for some of the difference between the Suffolk poll and others. If Christie voters are hiding in the undecided category, that may mean a closer race than the poll indicates."

The poll also suggests that regardless of how whom they support, nearly six in ten voters believe Corzine will win - double the amount of people who think Christie will come out on top.

The Suffolk University of Massachusetts poll was conducted October 22-25, with 400 likely New Jersey voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.

Polls show Gov. Jon Corzine and Republican candidate Chris Christie in a dead heat.

WASHINGTON (CNN)– The heated race for Governor in New Jersey is about to get a whole lot tougher in the final 10 days, according to the campaigns of Gov. Jon Corzine and Republican candidate Chris Christie.

Both campaigns will be doubling down on events to get their message out, but they are also counting on a last-minute boost from top party leaders.

President Barack Obama will head back to New Jersey next Sunday to campaign for Corzine, and former President Bill Clinton will be in the state Tuesday for two events with the governor.

"We have a lot of events and a myriad of guests," Corzine campaign manager Maggie Moran told CNN in a phone interview. Others scheduled to campaign are various Cabinet secretaries, including Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Moran said the campaign will be focused on targeting specific demographic groups that might not normally vote in a non-presidential election year.

"You will see a series of literally hundreds of events going on in different counties in New Jersey," Moran said.

According to Christie's senior campaign adviser Mike DuHaime, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani will join Christie in New Jersey sometime next weekend for multiple campaign stops.

In a phone interview, DuHaime said the campaign is going to focus in the final days on Christie's differences with Corzine.

"I think what you're going to see is continued contrast on the biggest issue that's facing this state and that's the taxes," he said.

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Obama is making his third trip to New Jersey for Jon Corzine.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – President Barack Obama will head back to New Jersey next weekend to campaign for Gov. Jon Corzine, who is in jeopardy of losing his re-election bid, CNN has learned.

"The Corzine campaign is excited to announce the president will be back in New Jersey on Sunday, November 1st making two stops in the state," Corzine campaign manager Maggie Moran told CNN Friday in a telephone interview.

Recent polling shows Corzine locked in a tight battle with Republican nominee Chris Christie. Obama’s appearance comes two days before New Jersey voters head to the polls in one of two high-profile gubernatorial contests in 2009. Obama has also visited Virginia on behalf of Democrat Creigh Deeds, who is trailing Republican Bob McDonnell in the race for governor.

A new poll of New Jersey voters suggests independent candidate Chris Daggett, center, continues to make gains.

(CNN) - A new poll of New Jersey voters suggests independent candidate Chris Daggett continues to make gains in that state's highly competitive gubernatorial race, primarily peeling support away from Republican challenger Chris Christie in campaign's final days.

Daggett, whom the Newark Star-Ledger surprisingly endorsed earlier this month, stands at 20 percent in the new survey conducted by Rutgers University, the highest level of support the former administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency has registered in any poll of the race to date.

Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine meanwhile holds a narrow lead over Christie, the state's former district attorney, 39 percent to 36 percent. But given the poll's 4 percentage point sampling error, the two are statistically tied.

"A rule of thumb among political junkies says that that the actual vote for a third-party candidate tends to be roughly half of what that candidate was getting in pre-election polls around Labor Day," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "But Daggett has been gaining ground since those Labor Day polls, so he may be one of the few independents who finishes strong and has a significant impact on the final results."

If nothing else, Daggett's growing support could mean the ultimate victor wins with less than 40 percent of the vote, a reflection of how unsatisfied New Jersey voters appear to be with all three candidates.

The Rutgers survey also shows both Christie and Corzine have net negative approval ratings and voters are deeply concerned with taxes, unemployment, and corruption in the state.

The poll of 583 likely voters was conducted October 15-20.

As Election Day approaches, Gov. Corzine is getting some high profile help on the campaign trail.

(CNN) - With two weeks left until Election Day, and Jon Corzine fighting for his political life, the New Jersey governor gets a helping hand from another big-name surrogate Tuesday night.

Former President Bill Clinton teams up with Corzine at a campaign event at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It's the second of three straight days of Democratic heavyweights on the trail with the New Jersey governor: on Monday, Vice President Joe Biden teamed up with Corzine in New Jersey for the second time this month. On Wednesday, President Barack Obama headlines a Corzine rally in the Garden State.

A new Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey Poll suggests that Obama remains popular in the Garden State. The survey, released Tuesday, also indicates that Corzine is dead even with his Republican challenger, Chris Christie, the former federal prosecutor in New Jersey. Corzine, battling for his second term, trailed Christie over the summer - but just about every recent poll of likely New Jersey voters indicates that he's now pulled into a tie with Christie. The surveys also suggest that independent candidate Chris Daggett is making an impact, with support in the low double digits - more than enough to swing the race.

Christie gets some big-name help of his own next week. A source with the Christie campaign tells CNN that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani will stand alongside the Republican challenger next week. Giuliani, along with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, have teamed up with Christie over the past few months.
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Corzine is set for some big-name campaigners this week.

(CNN) – New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine gets a helping hand from some big names this week as he fights for re-election.

Vice President Joe Biden teams up with Corzine Monday afternoon at a rally in Middlesex County Community College in Edison. It's the second time this month Biden has traveled to New Jersey to campaign with Corzine, a fellow Democrat.

Tuesday former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to headline a Corzine rally at Rutgers University in New Brunswick.

Wednesday Presient Barack Obama is the main attraction, as he headlines a Corzine event in Teaneck. The rally will be the second time the president has joined Corzine on the campaign trail, but the first time since July. The Corzine campaign turned Obama's appearance at a rally in July into a television commercial.

Recent polls suggest that Obama remains popular in New Jersey. Those same surveys also indicate that Corzine has pulled even over the past month after trailing his Republican challenger, Chris Christie, the former federal prosecutor in the Garden State. According to recent polls, independent candidate Chris Daggett is making an impact, with support in the low double digits.

While no big name surrogates are scheduled to join Christie on the campaign trail this week, such top Republicans as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani have all teamed up with Christie on the campaign trail.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

(CNN) - As New Jersey's three gubernatorial candidates get set to debate for the second time Friday night, a new poll suggests the race is a dead heat heading into the final stretch.

According to a New York Times survey of likely voters, Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine holds a 3 point lead over Republican Chris Christie, 40 percent to 37 percent. Corzine's slim lead is within the poll's 4 percentage point sampling error, suggesting the race is statistically tied. The survey also shows independent candidate Chris Daggett continues to garner double digit support with 14 percent.

But 30 percent of voters in the poll who named a candidate said they may change their mind before Election Day, a clear sign neither Corzine nor Christie has made the final sale with three weeks left until voters head to the polls.

The Times survey, which included 987 adults between October 11-14, has similar findings to a Quinnipiac University poll released earlier this week that had the race at 40-41 percent in favor of Christie.

President Obama will return to New Jersey next week for a late campaign trail appearance with Gov. Jon Corzine.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – President Obama will return to New Jersey next week for a late campaign trail appearance with Gov. Jon Corzine, the Democratic governor's campaign announced Wednesday.

Obama and Corzine will appear at a rally at Faireleigh Dickinson University next Wednesday, October 21.

Over the summer, Corzine - one of the president's most active surrogates during the 2008 campaign - became the first Democratic candidate to benefit from a campaign visit since Obama took office.

Corzine could use a hand. He's clawed his way back from a chronic deficit, but remains in a dead heat with Republican opponent Chris Christie in the Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday. Forty percent of likely voters in the state say they'll back the Democratic incumbent, with 41 percent supporting former Attorney General Christie. Twelve percent say they'll vote for independent candidate Christopher Daggett.

Corzine's campaign stressed his Obama ties early, with ads and billboards featuring the two men together. "Keep it going" read one billboard unveiled earlier this year. "Obama Corzine."

Obama's appearance next week with Corzine will come the day after he is expected to attend a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in New York City.

There is more evidence Wednesday that with 20 days until the November election, the battle for New Jersey's top job is a dead heat.

(CNN) - There is more evidence Wednesday that with 20 days until the November election, the battle for New Jersey's top job is a dead heat.

Forty percent of New Jersey likely voters questioned in a new Quinnipiac University poll say they back Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine, with 41 percent supporting Republican challenger Chris Christie. According to the survey, 12 percent say they'll vote for independent candidate Christopher Daggett.

Christie, the former federal prosecutor in New Jersey, held a four point lead over Corzine in Quinnipiac's poll from two weeks ago, with Daggett at 12 percent.

Two other surveys out over the last week, a Fairleigh Dickinson University Public Mind poll and Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey survey, also indicated that the New Jersey gubernatorial contest was all tied up.

The new Quinnipiac poll suggests that 76 percent of Democrats back Corzine, 83 percent of Republicans support Christie, and independents back Christie 45 to 32 percent, with 16 percent supporting Daggett.

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