TRENTON--With New Jersey’s gubernatorial election almost a week ago, the state will inaugurate Democrat Phil Murphy into office. This marks the end of the eight-year run of Chris Christie, who has a 15 percent approval rating according to Politico. New Jersey has spoken, and the state is ready for a change, but here’s a look back at Christie’s most notable accomplishments and blunders over the years.
One of his most notable accomplishments was when Hurricane Sandy made landfall and devastated the state. He was quick to respond after and toured the state with President Barack Obama to meet with people affected by the storm. He also fought the national government to get a Sandy aid package passed, showing his down-to-business attitude that carried through the rest of his time as governor.
Christie became the chairman of the White House Opioid Panel and has taken responsibility for fighting the opioid epidemic in New Jersey. He plans to spend $200 million dollars to fight the epidemic and to set an example for how the rest of the country should be handling the crisis.
This past summer, when the government reached an impasse due to Christie’s healthcare bill, the government was forced to shut down. This meant that state parks, motor vehicle commission offices, and courts were closed until the government reached an agreement. Christie was photographed with his family on one of the state beaches during Fourth of July weekend, thus sparking a lot of controversy. People also took to the internet to make a meme out of Christie, which were publicized in multiple newspapers and online.
‘Bridgegate’ was the turning point for Christie’s administration. Two lanes in Fort Lee were closed that lead to the George Washington Bridge, causing huge traffic backups for four days. Christie denied having anything to do with the lane closures, but investigations found that some people in Christie’s cabinet were directly involved and that the lanes were closed in order to punish Fort Lee’s mayor for not endorsing Christie. He later apologized and fired a staff member, but the scandal ultimately defined his time in office.
Sports Betting never materialized and the Dream Mall is a lingering nightmare! Phil Murphy will be taking the reins and let the New Jersey Green rush begin.