Election results put policies and personality center stage
NJ Gov Christie handily wins re-election; Democrat McAuliffe gets edge in VA; de Blasio is NYC mayor by landslide
- Topics:
- Politics
- Chris Christie
- New Jersey
Tuesday night’s election results held few surprises for politics-watchers around the country, but did offer some insights about the national political landscape heading into the 2014 and 2016 elections.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican incumbent, cruised to victory in typically-Democratic New Jersey, handily defeating his opponent, State Senator Barbara Buono, who received tepid support from the Democratic Party establishment. Christie parlayed a post-Superstorm Sandy appearance with President Barack Obama and some classic political horse trading to broaden his appeal to constituencies that have shirked the GOP in recent years—women, minorities, and young voters.
In Virginia, a swing state, longtime Clinton ally and former head of the Democratic National CommitteeTerry McAuliffe squeaked out a victory against attorney general Ken Cuccinelli, a tea-party darling who turned off large majorities of women and moderate voters with heated rhetoric on abortion and gay marriage.
To many Virginians, both campaigns, at times, seemed in a race to the bottom, with voters pondering aloud which candidate could out-sleaze the other. And the battle between Cucinnelli and McAuliffe was often framed by national issues — like the tea party, the Affordable Care Act, and the shutdown — as much as about state-level policy. The race also drew plenty of big-name political figures, with former President Bill Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden campaigning on behalf of McAuliffe, and former congressman and libertarian icon Ron Paul making appearances with Cuccinelli.
National Implications?
Christie’s victory in typically Democratic New Jersey elevates the perception of the governor as a top-tier contender for his party’s presidential nomination in 2016 — something Christie has hardly