NJ Governor's Race: Chris Christie's Opponents Protest Sean Hannity

The feisty New Jersey governor's race is coming to Manhattan.

FOX News' Sean Hannity last week interviewed Republican Chris Christie, the former U.S. attorney battling for against Bogota, NJ, Mayor Steve Lonegan for their party's nomination to run against incumbent Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine this fall. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani joined him on the set. But apparently, some Lonegan supporters aren't thrilled that Hannity had Christie in his show, and not Lonegan, so they're planning a protest at 7 p.m. ET tonight outside of FOX headquarters in Midtown Manhattan.

The pro-Lonegan blog, Conservatives With Attitude, says Lonegan supporters are crying foul, since Hannityy has claimed neutrality with regards to state primaries in the past. Although, if you watch video of the interview, Giuliani did far more talking than Christie. Christie talked a bit about having to "get back to the basics" of the Republican Party, and that the "tone" of some Republicans may have alienated Northeastern state voters in the past. He stressed his record of putting drug dealers, terrorists, and others in jail during his stint in the U.S. attorney's office, and is running largely on Corzine's perceived inability to effectively deal with the state's budget crisis. He said people are "suffocating from taxation" in New Jersey.

Lonegan and Christie will face off in a June 2 primary. A May 20 Quinnipiac poll has Christie ahead of both Lonegan and Corzine.

The prospect of a Republican actually unseating Corzine has the GOP chomping at the bit, especially at a time when they're desperately trying to regain their footing. In the Hannity interview, Giuliani hinted that this was part of a Republican comeback, and if you check out the Republican Governors Association Web site, that's exactly how they're framing upcoming elections, starting with this year's governors' races in New Jersey and Virginia. Then there are states like Oklahoma, where the governors' seats are ripe for Republicans' taking next year. In that state, incumbent Democratic Gov. Brad Henry, can't run again in 2010 because of the state's term limits, and a recent Public Policy Polling survey shows that Republicans have a good chance at capturing that seat.

It's obviously far too early to tell whether this "comeback" is going to be for real, but here in New Jersey, if things keep up the way they are, and if Republicans can somehow counter Corzine's deep pockets, there's more than a decent chance the governor's seat in Trenton just may turn red this year.

Here's Hannity's May 19 interview with Christie and Giuliani: