NEW JERSEY 101.5

After incumbent New Jersey Governor Chris Christie won a convincing re-election victory last night, many political experts predict this is the end for Democratic challenger Barbara Buono.

Buono election night stage in Metuchen
Buono election night stage in Metuchen (Twitter)
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"We've seen losing candidates before come back and make another run that's been successful, but that won't happen here. It was a blowout from beginning to end," said the Director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, Patrick Murray. "She did nothing that really moved the needle, the organizational Democrats were not behind her."

He stressed Buono was never able to develop good name recognition.

"We still had 4 in 10 voters at the end of this campaign who said, 'I really don't know that much about her to have an opinion.' That's pretty bad for a statewide candidate," he said.

Murray also pointed a number of other Democrats who would be considered better choices to run for Governor in four years.

"The new Mayor of Jersey City Steve Fulop. I'm sure there are others who will rise over the next few years. They all have their power bases, and Barbara Buono doesn't have any," Murray said.

He said that Buono doesn't have an organization behind her and doesn't have a group behind her, whether it's a union or some other active group that would rally behind her. He believes she's going to be pushed out.

The bottom line, said Murray, is that Governor Christie has been immensely popular ever since Superstorm Sandy.

"The Democratic party has moved on from Barbara Buono both here in the state and nationally."

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