President Trump’s unpopularity in New Jersey played a significant role in the heavy losses Republicans faced in last year’s Garden State elections, former GOP Governor Chris Christie claimed in a recent interview.
Democrat Mikie Sherrill defeated Republican Jack Ciattarelli by 14 percentage points in last fall’s gubernatorial race. According to Christie, Ciattarelli’s close association with Trump was a major factor in the defeat. The GOP also lost five seats in the New Jersey General Assembly during the same election cycle.
“It was an absolute disaster,” Christie said on 77 WABC radio’s “Cats Roundtable.” “We lost the governorship by 14 points. We lost five seats in the New Jersey General Assembly, which means that we’re now at the lowest number since Watergate. It is a desperate time in New Jersey.”
The former Trump ally added, “We forgot how to win.”
Christie stated that Trump was an albatross for Ciattarelli and other GOP candidates in the state. “The problem for Jack Ciattarelli was when he tied himself so close to the president, a lot of independents in New Jersey were turned off by that,” Christie explained. “For the first time in a long time, the Republican candidate for governor actually lost independents to the Democrats. If that happens, you have no chance of winning because there are 850,000 more Democrats than Republicans in the state.”
He continued, “The fact is that the president is not nearly as popular in the state of New Jersey as he is in other parts of the country. Jack made himself 100% MAGA. That was something that really, really hurt him. It turned out not to be just a small loss, but a huge one.”
Christie also highlighted New Jersey’s high tax burden, including corporate taxes, property taxes, and income taxes. “I wouldn’t be surprised if [the New Jersey Democrats] raised taxes again this June,” he remarked.
However, he noted that New Jersey remains a slightly better alternative compared to neighboring New York. “[New Jersey is] a very tough place but I bet you it will be better than New York,” Christie said, pointing out that Sherrill is not a hard-left Democratic socialist like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Christie served as New Jersey’s governor from 2010 to 2017 and is the only Republican to hold the position in the 21st century. He ran for president twice, in 2016 and 2024, but was defeated by Trump both times.
His political career was impacted by the “Bridgegate” scandal, which involved severe traffic delays in Fort Lee caused by the deliberate closure of lanes to the George Washington Bridge. The closures were allegedly intended to punish Fort Lee’s Democratic mayor for not supporting Christie’s 2013 reelection bid.
Two of Christie’s associates were convicted in connection with the scheme, but the Supreme Court overturned their convictions in 2020, ruling that the actions did not violate federal law. Christie, a former U.S. Attorney, has consistently denied any involvement in the scandal.
https://nypost.com/2026/02/01/us-news/trump-is-political-liability-for-gop-in-nj-ex-gov-christie-says/