New Jersey Paper Endorses Independent Candidate for Governor

The Newark Star-Ledger, the largest daily newspaper in New Jersey, endorsed independent gubernatorial candidate Chris Daggett in an editorial over the weekend. The paper said its snub of the major party candidates, Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine and Republican challenger Chris Christie, is "a repudiation of the parties they represent, both of which have forfeited any claim to the trust and confidence of the people of New Jersey."

The Star-Ledger endorsement said that breaking the major parties' hold on Trenton is the only way to restore credibility to New Jersey's famously corrupt state government. "Daggett's election would send shock waves through New Jersey's ossified political system and, we believe, provide a start in a new direction," the editorial said.

Daggett, a former Republican, served as director of the Environmental Protection Agency for the New York-New Jersey area from 1984 to 1988. He was in the administration of New Jersey Gov. Thomas Keane and now works for an environmental consulting firm -- and has advised governors of both parties, including Corzine.

Christie and Corzine have traded narrow leads the past few weeks, with Daggett typically making single-digit showings in the polls. Corzine's approval rating has been low ever since his election in 2006, and his disapproval rating has steadily climbed throughout his time in office.