Christie re-elected governor of New Jersey

Gov. Chris Christie was re-elected with ease Tuesday, demonstrating the kind of broad, bipartisan appeal that will serve as his opening argument should he seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.

The Associated Press called the race based on interviews with voters as they left polling places. The interviews were conducted for the AP and television networks ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and Fox News by Edison Research.

While the final margin of victory over little-known Democratic state Sen. Barbara Buono was still being tabulated, Christie was expected to become the first Republican in a quarter-century to receive more than 50 percent of the New Jersey vote.

This, in a state that President Barack Obama carried a year ago by more than 17 points, his biggest margin in the nation. (Associated Press)