Former Mayor Calls Out Christie's Pro-Life Stance

Once a running mate of Governor Chris Christie during his aspirations to become a state legislator during the 1990s, former Mendham Township mayor Richard Merkt said he’s not so sure the usually steadfast and resolute New Jersey boss is speaking truth about how he came to be a pro-life advocate.

The Daily Beast website published an article Monday questioning Christie’s so-called epiphany that led him to switch from pro-choice supporter to pro-life in 1995 after hearing the heartbeat of his daughter during a 13-week prenatal checkup for his wife, Mary Pat.

The article calls into question the timing of Christie’s switch, which happened when he was losing a Republican primary for state assembly to Michael Patrick Carroll, the website reported.

Merkt, who resigned his post as Mendham Township Committeeman last fall when he was hired as Mendham Borough’s town administrator, told the Daily Beast Christie’s flip in view was the “perfect political story.” Merkt served in the New Jersey Assembly from 1998 to 2010, representing the 25th Legislative District.

“Let’s just say that my personal interactions with Chris would not have led me to believe that [the heartbeat of his second child] would have been the factor that drove his decisions,” Merkt said in the interview. “But I can’t say that it didn’t happen–no one can, because we weren’t there. It’s the perfect political story.”

As the story goes, and how Christie has told in public since running for Governor in 2009, upon hearing that heartbeat of his second child during the doctor’s visit, he had a change of heart that led him to believe life begins at conception. Prior to that he admitted to being pro-choice.

Christie, who has not said whether he is or is not running for President in 2016, has been traveling widely of late to states such as Iowa and currently this week in Great Britain.

Running for national office under the Republican party would necessitate the stance of pro-life, as the party has toed the line on the controversial issue as one of its platforms.

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