Politics / Jon Corzine Christie's NJ Lead Shrinks After Corzine's Weight Ads He's now up by only 1 point in the latest polls By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff Posted Oct 13, 2009 5:50 PM CDT Copied New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine, left, Republican challenger Chris Christie, right, and Independent candidate Chris Daggett stand in a television studio Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009, in Trenton, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) Gov. Jon Corzine's strategy of running an ad that calls attention to challenger Chris Christie’s girth may be paying off: 19% of New Jersey voters said Christie’s weight made them less likely to vote for him, while 11% said it was a “legitimate campaign issue,” a new poll shows. While the precise effect is debatable, the race is getting closer: The poll has Republican Christie up 40%-39% over Corzine, a drop from his lead of 44%-35% last month, notes Talking Points Memo. (More Jon Corzine stories.) Report an error