Ever since Chris Christie has been governor, his lieutenant governor, Kim Guadagno, has been quietly supportive of his every move. But those days appear to be over.

In recent weeks, Guadagno has publicly turned thumbs down on Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has been strongly backed by Christie. She’s strongly disagreed with the plan Christie signed off on to raise the gas tax 23 cents a gallon. And on Thursday Guadagno announced she is against question 2 on the November ballot – strongly supported by Christie – to Constitutionally dedicate all increased gas tax money to the state's Transportation Trust Fund.

“What we’re really saying in this question is that you have my permission, you meaning the legislators, have my permission to borrow $12 billion and pay for it with that 23 cents, the diesel fuel tax and the ‘baby oil’ tax,” Guadagno told New Jersey 101.5's Bill Spadea Thursday morning. She'd also broken with Christie on the gas tax during an earlier installment of Spadea's show.

The Constitutional amendment question does not make a reference to borrowing, but Guadagno argued defeating it would force lawmakers to revist their plans for transportation funding and spending.

According to Brigid Harrison, a Montclair State University political science professor, for the entirety of governor Christie’s tenure, Guadagno has been a loyal footsoldier. But now, as she looks at her own likely gubernatorial bid, “she recognizes that she really needs to distance herself from Gov. Christie, particularly in light of his abysmally low approval ratings in the state.”

A recent Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll found three out of four residents disapprove of Christie.

Harrison believes Guadagno’s public disagreements with Christie are “kind of baby steps for her in attempting to establish both a record and a position that is separate and apart from governor Christie’s.”

Harrision said this is probably something that Guadagno has wanted to do for the entire time she’s been lieutenant governor.

“She’s been asked to act as a very quiet second fiddle to governor Christie, despite having positions that were different from his, she was not allowed to vocalize those,” Harrison said. “But now I think she cannot move on unless she does so, and indeed it may be too late, I think in many voters minds she is still linked inextricably to the Christie legacy.

When Guadagno does public events these days, reporters are almost always told they will not be allowed to ask her any questions. But what would happen if she suddenly decided to start talking more?

If she were to do that there probably would be some very harsh repercussions when she got back to Trenton,” said Harrison.

She pointed out Guadagno, before she was lieutenant governor, was already regarded as an enormously capable individual — the first female elected sheriff in Monmouth County, someone who had an outstanding career. Then she suddenly was elected to an office with no blueprint, and she kind of got sidelined, Harrison.

“Now she is trying to step out from the shadow of Gov. Christie and establish her own imprint, and that’s a really difficult task,” said Harrison.

She said Republicans in New Jersey have been solidly behind the governor on almost every issue that’s come up for the past seven years — but that’s not going to continue.

“The romance has been over for quite some time. I think what we’re seeing now is the relatively public divorce proceedings are going forward,” said Harrision.

She added if you talk to Republicans behind closed doors, “they are essentially waiting for the Christie era to be over. They want to rebuild the party. They want to raise money that isn’t being used for the governor’s expenses. With Gov. Christie in the state, on the scene, they’re not allowed to do that.”

Harrison said the examples we’re seen of Guadagno breaking with Christie and Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, himself a candidate for governor, “are demonstrative of conversations that have been going on since governor Christie backed out of his presidential bid.”

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