Something to keep in mind as New Jersey governor Chris Christie contemplates the decision of appointing an interim senator:
The state has 5,463,097 registered voters, as of May 7.
That total breaks down into:
2,608,636 unaffiliated voters (47 percent)
1,779,250 Democrats (32.5 percent)
1,070,906 Republicans (19.6 percent)
Christie’s done quite well in this heavily Democratic electorate — “63 percent of those surveyed in a recent Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press poll saying they approve of the job Christie is doing. That rating ticks slightly higher — 64 percent — among the coveted independents” — and so it’s unlikely he’ll pick anyone who would be seen as antagonistic to the state’s Democrats.
If Robert Costa is hearing from his sources that Christie will appoint a Republican, then it’s probably a safe bet. But Christie’s probably looking for the Republican most acceptable to the state’s Democratic voters.