Christie, Democrats call for bipartisanship

Gov.-elect Christopher J. Christie asked New Jersey to have a little faith, and found magic on election night. Now comes the struggle to make good on his campaign promise to rescue the troubled - and still Democratic-controlled - state.

Standing at Newark's Robert Treat Academy charter school yesterday, a tired and ebullient Christie called for bipartisanship in solving the state's problems.

"This stuff of Republicans and Democrats thinking we have to be mutually exclusive has just got to be over, because the problems here are too big," he said.

The setting was symbolic not only because the academy is successful and Christie supports charters in failing urban districts, but because Newark is his birthplace. His accountant father and office-worker mother left the city, he has said, so they could send their two sons and daughter to better schools.

Christie, who is married to the former Mary Pat Foster of Paoli and has four children ages 6 to 16, was voted the state's 55th governor on Tuesday - the first Republican in a dozen years to win the seat. He faces a Democratic-controlled Legislature that could help or hobble his administration.

On the campaign trail, the former U.S. attorney was coy about how he would rein in state spending and cut taxes. But before he even measures the governor's mansion windows for curtains, he'll be consumed by an estimated $1 billion shortfall in the current budget and the need to prevent a potential $8 billion deficit in 2011.

He'll also have to put in place a new government, and hope that Democratic Gov. Corzine keeps his vow to provide a smooth transition.

Yesterday, Christie announced that former Attorney General David Samson and Jeffrey Chiesa, who worked under him in a private law firm and the U.S. Attorney's Office, would head his transition team.

He also renewed his promise to freeze new regulations and mandates for 90 days, enabling Kim Guadagno, elected the state's first lieutenant governor, to cull those that cost too much or discourage business.

Christie's pledge to govern as a bipartisan leader is pragmatic. He has no choice. The Senate and Assembly have strong Democratic majorities.

New Jersey's governor has more power than any other in the nation because he appoints numerous judges, the state attorney general, and treasurer, and has line-item veto power over the budget. But Christie's success will be determined greatly by the Legislature, which must sanction his agenda and has confirmation powers over key offices.

Christie "will define the relationship," retiring Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr. (D., Camden) said yesterday. "If he respects the Legislature and he is prepared to meet the Legislature halfway, I think there's potential for there to be a great working relationship."

Roberts doubted that his party colleagues would abandon their ideologies, but he said many might be willing to find a middle ground.

Coping with a looming $8 billion deficit, however, "is going to be brutal," he said.

Early in the race, Christie said he would use the governor's power to veto funding for programs he didn't like, a move that could get him into some early scrapes with legislators.

After losing one seat on Tuesday night, Democrats will have a 47-33 majority in the Assembly next year. The Senate, with 23 Democrats and 17 Republicans, does not have enough Democrats to override a veto. Christie may be able to prevail there on some issues if Republicans act as a bloc, which is likely, said Minority Leader Thomas H. Kean Jr. (R., Union).

Kean sees Republican clout in the statehouse increasing now that the party has a GOP governor to work with. He noted that many of Christie's campaign planks - to cut taxes, create jobs, and promote transparency in government - coincided with the caucus' agenda.

Democratic leaders said yesterday that they would work with Christie.

"We'll get along fine," said State Sen. Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester), who believes he has the votes to replace State Sen. Richard J. Codey (D., Essex) as Senate president. "A lot of us believe there needs to be a lot of change happening in the state. We got a clear message of that yesterday."

Voters reported in exit polls that they had reacted to the state's high unemployment rate of 9.8 percent and to high property taxes. Though some partisans claimed the race was a referendum on President Obama, who campaigned for Corzine, most local analysts believe the race rested on frustration with the economy.

On the campaign trail, Christie sounded like a combination of former President Bill Clinton, saying he felt voters' pain, and Obama, saying he had hope in a better future.

Christie will have to deal quickly with voters' frustration, a task that could be complicated when the legislative session resumes. On the short list for the lame-duck session are possible votes on same-sex marriage, which Christie opposes, and returning Camden to self-rule, which he supports.

He will have no legal power to influence lame-duck decisions or whatever Corzine wants to do before leaving.

State Sen. Robert Singer (R., Ocean) said Christie should ask Corzine at least to impose a hiring freeze, despite the fact that some people were promised jobs after the election.

"We're going to have to accept doing more with less. Period," Singer said. "The public's going to have to accept that. There's going to be pain and suffering across the board for everyone."