Christie Hasn't Been In N.J. Much Lately - Nearly Half Of Second Term Out-Of-State

Gov. Christie has become one of the most unpopular governors in New Jersey in 25 years as he prepares for a presidential run.

But the Bridgegate scandal, his personal spending practices and other Christie behaviors that have drawn heavy criticism may not be what’s driving his popularity down.

Nearly half the time, observers say, he just hasn’t been here.

Christie was out-of-state for all or part of 218 days in the first 518 days of his second term, and almost all of that travel has helped him lay the groundwork to run for president, according to a “Christie Tracker” kept by WNYC.

In 2014 alone, taxpayers reportedly paid $492,420 for his travel costs, according to New Jersey Watchdog.

And those costs could continue to climb as Christie prepares to run for the Republican nomination, and visits early 2016 primary and caucus states such as Iowa and New Hampshire. An announcement his plans is expected to come on Tuesday in Livingston.

Matt Katz, who has kept the Christie Tracker for WNYC, noted in another article that the out-of-state trips could have had an adverse impact on Christie’s ability to govern.

In his first term, the report said, Christie had steak dinners and texted regularly with Steve Sweeney, the Democratic president of the state Senate, that led to several compromises on major issues.

Now it’s become more difficult, Sweeney said in the report, because “we really don’t sit down like we did in the first couple of years, multiple times in a week, look each other in the eye to try to sit down and get things done.”

Now, he said in the report, can’t remember the last time they talked face-to-face.

Christie said recently on his NJ101.5 call-in radio show ”it’s not like the old days where you had to get the Pony Express to get a note to this governor” in order to talk to him.

Now he carries a cell phone and he’s never out-of-touch, he said.

Photo: Christie with Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, earlier this year.