New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) was overwhelmingly reelected to a second term Tuesday. Just how dominant was the governor's performance in the Democratic state? A dive inside the numbers tells the story:
1/3: Christie carried nearly one-third of Democrats (32 percent) and liberals (31 percent), according to National Election Pool exit poll data estimates. That amounts to 24- and 22-point improvements, respectively, from the governor's 2009 performance. That's remarkable enough cross-party appeal on its own. But it stands out even more when stacked up against the other Republican gubernatorial nominee on Tuesday: Ken Cuccinelli II, was in single digits among the same groups.
51 percent: Christie won a narrow majority of the Hispanic vote, topping Democrat Barbara Buono 51 percent to 45 percent, the exit poll data estimates show. His tally, a 19-point improvement from 2009, comes as many voices in the GOP have called for the party to revamp its image in the Hispanic community after a dismal showing in the 2012 election.
56 percent: Christie also won a majority of women. Late last year, we looked at Christie's strong support among women -- both back home and nationally -- and posed the question of whether it would last. In New Jersey, a least, it has.
39 percent: Christie won by separating himself from the broader negative view of the GOP. Just 39 percent of New Jersey voters said they hold a favorable impression of the GOP. Yet Christie still dominated. While the challenge for Christie in this election was creating daylight between himself and a toxic GOP brand, his next one, should he run for president, will be about trying to convince conservative primary voters in Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire that there is little daylight between him and them.