ATLANTIC CO.--- 'It's the economy' was the number 1,2 and 3 reason why Chris Christie, and not Jon Corzine, won yesterdays election, according to local residents.

"...Hopefully under the Christie regime its going to change and its going to be a better place," said Somers Point resident Corky Campbell, as he entered a supermarket Wednesday night, "...the regulations, the DEP, the tolls, the taxes, the fees and fines, it ought to be New Jersey's motto, tolls, taxes, fees and fines."

Like Campbell, many people said that it was becoming increasingly difficult to live, or run a business in New Jersey because of excessive taxes and regulations -- and although most people did not put the blame entirely on Corzine, most said he did not help the situation.

"...When push came to shove, people said, no, I want a change in leadership," said Sharon Schulman, Exec. Dir. of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy.

Despite 700,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans, more than twice the spending of his opponent, multiple stump visits from big name politicians -- including three from Obama -- and a powerful Democratic organization.....Schulman said that Corzine was still the victim of a state economy that enough people blamed him for, "....when you answer the question, 'am I better off than I was four years ago, the answer is no', people didn't look deep, they just know viscerally, the answers no."

Schulman also contends that the failure of a Democratic Governor to win in a blue state, has nothing to do with the Obama White House or the Presidents policies, "....this was a message strictly to Jon Corzine...this ended up being a referendum on Jon Corzines administration."