Schools

Opinion: Could Christie's Education Agenda be Swept in on His Coattails?

If enough GOP candidates are carried along for the ride, it could put vouchers, seniority-based tenure, and even Abbott v. Burke within reach.

By Laura Waters (Courtesy of NJ Spotlight)

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Barbara Buono appears to have acquired a reverse momentum in her long-shot campaign. With three months until the election, a combination of elements drag her down, including weak fundraising, lack of support from national and state party powerbrokers, and a charismatic opponent.

More than 37 Democratic officials have endorsed Christie. Milly Silva, the union vice president whom Buono just chose as her lieutenant governor, has a prospective political appeal that mirrors that of her running mate, further narrowing any plausible road to the governor’s office.

So let’s call it now: Christie will win in November. Until recently, however, conventional wisdom has confined this victory to the governor alone. He has no coattails, said the pundits; according to a Quinnipiac University poll earlier this summer, “Christie’s only good for Christie.” All 120 seats are up in the state Senate and the Assembly, but the Christie shoo-in will provide no lift to Republican candidates.

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Times change. Buono’s campaign is underperforming, and the governor seems determined to run up the spread in order to make a hefty national impact. 

Read more at NJSpotlight.com

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NJ Spotlight is an issue-driven news website that provides critical insight to New Jersey’s communities and businesses. It is non-partisan, independent, policy-centered and community-minded.


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