Former Governor Chris Christie is quietly throwing his support behind Curtis Bashaw for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. At the same time, he’s defending Bashaw against criticism from another candidate, Christine Serrano Glassner, who is a supporter of Donald Trump.
Reports suggest that Christie was upset by an email from Serrano Glassner’s political director, Ethan Adams, which criticized Bashaw for supporting Christie’s presidential campaign. Bashaw contributed $3,300 to Christie’s campaign, while Serrano Glassner endorsed Trump.
Serrano Glassner’s campaign highlighted Bashaw’s past opposition to President Trump, pointing out his support for Libertarian Gary Johnson in 2016 and his involvement in a letter criticizing Trump as “a real threat to democracy.”
While Christie hasn’t publicly endorsed Bashaw, sources close to him confirm his preference for Bashaw and his communication with the Bashaw campaign.
However, the Bashaw campaign declined to comment on Christie’s involvement, focusing instead on Bashaw’s broad support across the state and his aim to unite the party.
Despite criticism from Serrano Glassner, Bashaw is expected to receive support from pro-Trump counties, particularly in South Jersey. He’s favored to win the Atlantic County GOP convention and recently secured a vote of confidence from the Ocean County GOP screening committee.
Christie’s relationship with Serrano Glassner has been tense since his time as governor, including his rejection of a job application from her husband, Michael Glassner, a top advisor to Trump.
Christie’s popularity among New Jersey Republicans remains low, as shown by a recent poll where he trailed Trump significantly in a hypothetical GOP presidential primary.
Overall, Christie’s backing of Bashaw underscores the ongoing divisions within the Republican Party in New Jersey.
