The New Jersey GOP infamously invested hundreds of thousands of dollars on Chris Christie’s national political ambitions while he was still our governor (including $231,000 in one month alone for a private jet service). In 2014, the RGA financed over $1.2 million on private jets for Christie’s activities as the organization’s leader at the time.
In a way? The N.J. cash drain never ended.
At the end of 2023’s Q4, FEC data shows Christie 2024 had raised $1,594,381 from New Jersey donors out of about $5.4 million raised nationally before the former political star’s second failed presidential campaign unceremoniously ended only ten days into the new year.
That’s an exceptionally modest haul by presidential standards, but it could’ve made a big difference for 2023 NJGOP legislative candidates who weathered massive spending disparities and even independent expenditure shenanigans in places like LD4.
The extra cash might’ve purchased some ads or a VBM program in a critical cycle. Republicans ultimately lost six Assembly seats in November, a defeat which realistically relegates the caucus to non-factor status for the rest of the decade.
As of mid-October, political campaigns and interested third party groups had spent over $28 million across 40 legislative districts.
