Christie told him to ‘shut up’ but now he’s running for the NJ legislature

The man who was the target of what may be Governor Chris Christie’s best-known rant wants to become a New Jersey legislator.

Jim Keady  is best known for incurring Christie’s wrath after he heckled the governor on the Belmar boardwalk two years after Superstorm Sandy.

At the time, Christie told him: “You want to have the conversation later, I’m happy to have it buddy, but until then sit down and shut up.”

A video of that confrontation went viral and Keady says all the publicity could help his campaign as a Democrat in the 30th Assembly district. He says Sandy recovery is one of his major priorities.

“Talking to dozens and dozens of families that are struggling to just try and survive, it has given me the impetus to get into the race,” he said.

Keady is a former Asbury Park councilman, a small business owner, and the director of a non-profit organization.

“What I am hoping to do in the coming weeks and months as the campaign moves on is to get past being the guy that the governor told to sit down and shut up and for people to recognize that I am a viable candidate with plenty of political experience,” he said.

Monmouth University political analyst Patrick Murray says while residents may know about Keady because of his run in with the governor, he faces an uphill campaign in a district that favors Republicans.