FOXNews.com: CHRISTIE'S CHOICE: Lautenberg replacement

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CHRISTIE'S CHOICE: Lautenberg replacement Jun 4th 2013, 14:52 Nov. 13, 2012: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks at a news conference in Trenton, N.J.AP New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is facing one of the toughest political choices of his career, now that he's tasked with figuring out how and when to fill the Senate seat held by the late Frank Lautenberg.  Lautenberg, a Democrat and the oldest member of the U.S. Senate, died Monday after complications from viral pneumonia at age 89. While colleagues paid tribute to the legacy of the World War II veteran, political observers launched into heavy speculation on how the popular Republican governor would handle filling the seat of the long-time Democratic lawmaker.  He has two key decisions: Whom to appoint to fill the seat in the short term, and when to let voters have their say on who will fill it until the term expires in January 2015. Further, he'll have to decide whether to appoint someone to merely keep the seat warm, or someone who intends to run in the next election.  Christie, despite his reputation as a brash, no-nonsense executive, has a complicated political profile that makes his decision hard to read.  He's considered a possible contender in the 2016 presidential race, but his status as one of the best-known GOP governors is no guarantee he'll tap a fellow Republican for the seat, according to some analysts.  New Jersey has not elected a Republican to the Senate since 1972. And it hasn't had one serve there at all since 1982, when Republican Gov. Tom Kean appointed Republican Nicholas Brady to finish the term of Democrat Harrison Williams, who resigned amid scandal.  If Christie picks a Republican, he risks upsetting voters who chose a Democrat for the seat.  Yet if Christie picks a Democrat, it may not play well with Republican presidential primary voters, who could see him as disloyal to his party in the run-up to the 2016 primary season.  One New Jersey Republican political consultant told FoxNews.com there's almost no way the governor picks a Democrat.  "It is a sure bet he will pick a Republican," the source said. The source said there are "several short lists" of GOP candidates to choose from -- of current GOP lawmakers, of non-lawmakers like the sitting lieutenant governor and of former dignitaries.  The other major decision Christie faces is when to hold the next election, as there are conflicting state laws on this.  Options include this November, when the governor is also on the ballot; November 2014; or a special primary and general election some other time over the next 19 months at a cost of millions of dollars.  State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, a Democrat, said Christie should appoint a Democrat, because the seat was held by an elected one, and then hold a special election this November. But he said he thinks Christie may be reluctant to appoint a Democrat and hesitant to give up his place at the top of this fall's ballot.  Despite the risks, Christie could consider appointing Newark Mayor Cory Booker, a Democrat who announced earlier this year plans to run for Lautenberg's seat in 2014, said Brigid Harrison, a political scientist at Montclair State University. The move could backfire, she said, but it would help Christie's image with New Jersey Democrats and African-Americans across the country -- especially since history shows it's hard for a Republican to win a Senate seat in New Jersey.  Political analysts say the list of Republican possibilities includes state Sen. Tom Kean Jr.; U.S. Rep. Chris Smith; former Gov. Christie Whitman; state Sen. Joe Kyrillos, who ran for the U.S. Senate last year; state Sen. Kevin O'Toole; or Bill Baroni, the deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.  Another possibility could be Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, which would open a spot on Christie's re-election bid ticket this fall for another Republican.  No one has yet begun campaigning for the job publicly.  With Lautenberg's death, the Senate now has 52 Democrats, 45 Republicans and two independents who caucus with the Democrats.  FoxNews.com's Judson Berger and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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