Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno beat her four opponents in Tuesday's Republican gubernatorial primary.
WEST LONG BRANCH -- Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, who has spent the last eight years as Gov. Chris Christie's second-in-command and now vows to slash the state's notoriously high property taxes, defeated four opponents Tuesday to secure the Republican nomination to succeed Christie as New Jersey's governor.
The Associated Press called it about an hour and 20 minutes after the polls closed.
Guadagno, a 58-year-old Monmouth Beach resident, staved off a challenge from state Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli to win the GOP primary.
She also bested three other rivals: Nutley Commissioner Steven Rogers, small business owner Joseph Rullo, and aerospace engineer Hirsh Singh.
Now, Guadagno will battle former U.S. ambassador Phil Murphy, the winner of Tuesday's Democratic primary, in November's general election to take over for Christie, a term-limited Republican who has less than eight months left in his final term.
But political experts say she'll face a steep challenge, considering Murphy will likely tie her to Christie, whose approval ratings have plummeted to historic lows in recent months.
Guadagno, a former Monmouth County sheriff and ex-federal prosecutor, became the state's first lieutenant governor when she was elected with Christie in 2009.
Since then, she has kept a relatively low profile, often appearing at ribbon-cuttings, and rarely speaking to the press as Christie commanded the spotlight. But as the state government's liaison to the business community, Guadagno also forged a strong relationship with business leaders throughout the Garden State.
In addition, Guadango often stepped into the governor's role when Christie hit the road repeatedly, first as chairman of the Republican Governors Association and then as a 2016 presidential candidate.
That was supposed to set her up as Christie's heir apparent. But his popularity with voters tanked, and soon Guadagno was distancing herself from Christie, publicly disagreeing with him on his decision to hike the state's gas tax last year and then on his $300 million plan to renovate the Statehouse.
"I'm running for governor, the governor's not," Guadagno said during the second GOP primary debate last month.
Meanwhile, Guadagno faced unexpected pressure from Ciattarelli, a little-known six-year lawmaker from Somerset County. The two split support from county GOP organizations across the state and sparred over the best way to lower property taxes.
Guadagno touted a plan called a "circuit breaker," which would limit the amount homeowners pay in the school portion of their tax bill to 5 percent of their annual income. Those with tax bills above the 5 percent mark would be credited up to $3,000.
Guadagno said the plan would give immediate relief to those who need it most, especially the middle class.
"We have the highest taxes in the country," she said during the second debate. "Enough."
But critics noted that the plan would cost $1.5 billion. Guadagno said she'd pay for it partially through savings she'd uncover under a full audit of the state government.
Now, Guadagno will face Murphy, a multimillionaire former Goldman Sachs executive who spent more than $20 million in the Democratic primary -- nearly five times as much as the other 10 major-party candidates combined. By comparison, Guadango spent $2 million.
But spending in the general election may not be as lopsided. Murphy has agreed to participate in the state's matching funds program, which would limit him to spending $13.8 million in the general election.
Guadagno will also have the challenge of walking the tightrope involving President Donald Trump, a Republican who polls show is deeply unpopular in New Jersey, where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans nearly 2-to-1.
Guadagno and Ciattarelli, both of whom were critical of Trump in last year's elections, largely avoided talking about the president during the primary.
But Murphy has made it a focal point of his campaign.
New Jersey is also one of only two states with a governor's race this year, along with Virginia. And it's the first election to be held since Trump took office in January. Many experts see this as a barometer on how Trump is performing.
Ciattarelli will have to leave the Assembly after three terms because state law prohibits anyone from running for two offices in the same year.
But Ciattarelli, a relatively moderate Republican, has not ruled out running for another position in the future. Some experts say he could be poised for another run at the governor's office in 2021, should Murphy win in November.
Claude Brodesser-Akner may be reached at cbrodesser@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ClaudeBrodesser. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.