Buono Files to Challenge Christie

Did the week on food stamps slow Cory Booker down? New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie got his first Democratic challenger in the 2013 race—and it’s not the popular Newark mayor. Barbara Buono, a state senator, filed papers on Tuesday to run against Christie, saying she will be hitting the Republican governor on “trickle-down economics,” scapegoating teachers, and pushing tax cuts for millionaires, according to a Web video released Monday. Buono has hired David Axelrod’s old firm, AKPD, to handle the campaign. While Booker has expressed interest in running in the past, he has not formally announced his candidacy yet—although he indicated over the weekend that he could make a decision within the next two weeks.