New Jersey’s Republican establishment says it has high hopes that Chris Christie can defeat Gov. Jon Corzine in November despite two bruising weeks for the GOP challenger in the governor’s race.

Democrats have called into question whether Christie still wields influence in his old U.S. Attorney’s office — which isn’t allowed — after discovering that he lent a colleague there $46,000 and failed to report the loan or pay taxes on it.

Political science professor Brigid Harrison says the loan has damaged Christie’s credibility on a signature issue: ethics.

The Republican Governors Association and the Christie campaign say the last two weeks don’t change the consistent lead the Republican has enjoyed so far or the fact that more New Jerseyans think the state is off course than headed in the right direction. Corzine was elected governor on November 8, 2005.

(Source: WCBSTV)