Chris Christie Picks Placeholder for U.S. Senate Seat [POLL/AUDIO]

New Jersey's newest U.S. Senator only has a little over four months to make his mark in Washington. That's because current State Attorney General Jeff Chiesa has no interest in running for the seat in October's special election.

Gov. Chris Christie appointed Chiesa to the seat Thursday.  It was left vacant on Monday week after Sen. Frank Lautenberg died at 89 after suffering complications of pneumonia.

"I'm telling you that I am not running, so that will not change," said Chiesa.

He knows his time in the Senate will be very limited.  "I don't kid myself into thinking that I'm going to go down there with a handful of draft bills and start moving them as soon as I get there."

National GOP power brokers wanted, and in some cases demanded, that Christie appoint a conservative. Chiesa and the governor's office both say they got what they wanted.

"I'm a conservative Republican," said Chiesa. "I would say generally speaking."