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Christie Has 'Respect' For Booker's Decision To Explore Senate Run

NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) - Newark Mayor Cory Booker announced that he will explore a run for U.S. Senate and not New Jersey Governor. Now the current governor - Chris Christie - has reacted to that announcement.

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"As for me, as I've said right from the beginning, it doesn't matter. Someone's gonna run against me. So, you know, it doesn't matter really who it is," Christie said Friday. "I respect his decision. He's a friend, always has been."

But would that translate into an endorsement or support for his Democratic friend?

"I'll decide who to support when I see who the candidates are. I suspect that I'll be endorsing whoever the Republican candidate is for the United States Senate, but I don't know," he said. "I'm certainly not expecting to endorse Mayor Booker for anything and I'm not expecting Mayor Booker to endorse me for anything. But we're friends and we agree on a lot of issues and on the issues that we agree on, we work together, and on the issues we disagree with, we fight with each other about. But that's what a democracy is supposed to be about."

Has Christie spoken with Booker?

"He doesn't need to call me. I can't help him. So, he needs to call Democrats," Christie said, adding that he expects the two will talk or text this weekend.

What do you think of the idea of Cory Booker as a U.S. Senator? Sound off below.

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