New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno is running for governor

New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, a Republican, has entered the race to succeed Gov. Chris Christie.

Election Law Enforcement Commission spokesman Scott Miccio said that Guadagno filed paperwork with the state Thursday to run in the Republican primary. Right now just one other Republican is running, Jack Ciattarelli, a state Assemblyman. 

Guadagno is the state’s first lieutenant governor and was elected with Christie in 2009 and re-elected in 2013.

Among her top duties over the last seven years has been working with businesses to stay in New Jersey and acting as governor while Christie traveled out of state. She’s well known in the state’s business community for her accessibility, regularly handing out her cell phone number.

Guadagno is an attorney who served as a federal prosecutor in New York and later moved to New Jersey where she served as Monmouth County sheriff.

The primary is June 6.

The winner of the Republican primary will face the Democratic nominee in the General Election on November 7, 2017.

Three Democrats have announced their candidacies; state Senator Ray Leniak and former ambassador Phil Murphy and Assemblyman John Wisniewski.