Abandon Ship: RGA Quits on Guadagno

Report Says RGA Will Not Seriously Invest in NJ-GOV

RGA Chair Scott Walker, 11/15/16: “We think we can do well in both Virginia – where we have a chance for a pickup – and New Jersey in 2017.”

The Star-Ledger, 7/19/17: “The Republican Governors Association, a nationwide group formed with the sole purpose of electing GOP governors, has invested minimally in New Jersey and currently has no plans to change course, sources say.”

What a difference 8 months make. 

Just months after expressing optimism about holding the New Jersey governorship, the RGA abandoned Kim Guadagno this week. Chris Christie’s Lieutenant Governor has been saddled by poor fundraising and her boss’s inconceivably low approval ratings. Now, the RGA – which spent $9 million to elect Christie in 2013 – is pulling out.

Guadagno has faced an uphill battle from the start. She’s desperately trying to run from Christie’s legacy hat made the administration the most unpopular in the state’s history. After a disappointing primary turnout, Guadagno finds herself 27 points behind Democratic candidate Phil Murphy. 

“The Christie-Guadagno administration is so unpopular, even the RGA knows this election is a lost cause,” said DGA Communications Director Jared Leopold. “This is a major embarrassment for national Republicans, who were bullish about this race just months ago. Now the RGA knows what New Jersey voters know: Kim Guadagno would mean four more years of Christie’s disastrous policies for New Jersey.”

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