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BY STEVEN LONEGAN

COMMENTARY

I have come to bury a New Jersey myth, not to praise it. For decades, the political pundits and talking heads have declared that a social conservative cannot win a statewide election in the Garden State. They told us about Christie Whitman and Tom Kean, Bret Schundler and Jeff Bell. They pointed to Frank Lautenberg and Jon Corzine and Jim Florio. They colored our state's map the deepest of blues.

And then a strange thing happened: At about 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 3, 2009, we were able to bury that myth once and for all as pro-life, pro-marriage, pro-gun, pro-school vouchers Christopher J. Christie was overwhelmingly elected to serve as New Jersey's 55th governor.

The work started shortly after a spirited primary in which Chris and I waged a fair and hard-fought battle. We joined hands and joined forces, and united for a common good: working to create a New Jersey with lower taxes, less government and a strong moral fiber.

Christie did not do the typical "Republican Two-Step." He did not swerve to the right in the spring and then to the left in the fall. He followed a conservative path to victory. And we noticed.

When Chris went to Newark and talked about a brighter future for urban children by providing their parents with a choice through school vouchers, we went with him.

When Chris said in July, not just in April, "I believe marriage should be exclusively between one man and one woman," we heard him.

When Chris said whenever he was asked that he believed that the life "of every human is precious," we were heartened.

His words encouraged us.

All through the summer and fall conservatives stood shoulder to shoulder with Christie. The unfairness of the other side's campaign only made us work that much harder. When the polls tightened, we worked harder. When the columnists said it wasn't possible, we worked harder. When the mud was slung, we put on our rain gear and worked that much harder.

Because that's the thing about conservatives: We believe in things. We believe in them to our core. It gives us an inner strength to fight through adversity and trust in the goodness of our fellow men and women. And that faith was renewed on election night.

I know there are those who will say that conservatives — particularly social conservatives — should not lay claim to the credit for the governor's election. They have their own agendas and motives. But we know the truth. We understand just what kind of effort we put forth to restore New Jersey and elect a governor who cares about us, who believes as we do.

So the next time the political experts try to sell you some swampland in the Meadowlands disguised as conventional wisdom, just tell them, "No thanks, I know better."

Steven Lonegan, who was a candidate for the Republican nomination for New Jersey Governor in 2005 and 2009, is the state director of Americans for Prosperity, NJ. Contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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