If Gov. Chris Christie plans to run for president in 2016, a New Jersey political veteran thinks everything he does as governor will be thoroughly vetted by a national audience, and that includes some bills the governor has already signed into law and could possibly sign into law in the future.

NJ Governor Chris Christie Holds Town Hall Meeting
NJ Governor Chris Christie Holds Town Hall Meeting (Jessica Kourkounis, Getty Images)
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A bill banning gay conversion therapy has already been signed into law Christie. On Monday, the full general Assembly is scheduled to vote on a gun control bill and an amended measure to allow very ill minors to have access to medical marijuana.

"All of these bills are important not just to the constituents whom they might serve, but they're really important to the 2016 presidential campaign," said Peter Woolley, a political science professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University. "Democrats in the New Jersey legislature and nationally know that every one of these bills is going to be grist for the mill in 2016 when Christie is running for the presidency."

Speculation has been swirling for years that Christie has his eye on the White House, but he has never said publicly that he plans to run in 2016.

"If Christie is in a presidential race every one of these bills is going to be held up for examination," said Woolley. "Every one of these bills, no matter their local importance right now has an importance in 2016."

Christie is playing to a potential audience nationally not just to New Jersey voters according to Woolley and that includes Republicans in Texas and Independents in Colorado for example.

"He has to think about each of these bills in terms of how that's going to come back to bite him," said Woolley. "No topic is limited to New Jersey if he's going to become national candidate."

 

 

 

 

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