Christie now returning to N.J. for storm
Gov. Christie, campaigning in New Hampshire, decided Friday to return home ahead of the major snowstorm bearing down on the East Coast.
Gov. Christie, campaigning in New Hampshire, decided Friday to return home ahead of the major snowstorm bearing down on the East Coast.
"I want to make sure that the people of my state feel safe and secure," Christie told an audience in New Hampshire, adding that he had maintained contact with officials in Trenton over the last couple of days.
On Thursday, the governor, who is seeking the GOP presidential nomination, had said he planned to stay in New Hampshire, which holds the first primary on Feb. 9.
Christie's decision came under criticism from some Democrats and the news media. "Christie Shelters in Place; Plans to Stay in N.H. as Snow Hits Jersey," read a headline in the Bergen Record.
Bad weather tests mayors and governors across the country.
In December 2010, late in his first year in office, Christie drew criticism for vacationing at Walt Disney World in Florida with his family despite warnings of a snowstorm in New Jersey. Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno also was traveling on vacation, making Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester) the acting governor.
During and after Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Christie - surveying damage in his blue fleece - was a constant presence, and his favorability rating among constituents soared.
Christie's popularity has dropped significantly among Garden State residents since his focus turned to the national stage, with polls regularly showing fewer than 40 percent approve of his job performance.
"I was on a call last night. I'll be on another call tonight," Christie told a New Hampshire television station Thursday night. "If I feel like it's necessary for me to get down there, I will, but I'm not driving a plow truck, OK? We have all of our people ready to go. They know what to do. We've been through Hurricane Sandy, this cabinet, so 6, 8, 10, 12 inches of snow on a weekend will not be something that I think will be more than we can handle."
Christie said he would return to the Granite State on Sunday if conditions in New Jersey allowed. "I am able to do both things," he wrote on Twitter. "The fact is - you are never not the governor."
He canceled several scheduled campaign events Friday evening and Saturday. His wife, Mary Pat, will substitute for him at three events Saturday.
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