She has had a relatively chilly relationship with the governor during his tenure that has only worsened on the campaign trail. In her stump speech, Ms. Guadagno has adopted a bit of a “hear no evil, speak no evil” style; she rarely, if ever, invokes the governor’s name. Not when she boasts about the state’s economy, and not when she laments the many problems facing New Jersey, including an underfunded pension system and public transportation woes.

Instead, she dishes out coy insults, like discussing Mr. Christie’s plans to renovate the State House in Trenton by invoking the term “Palace of Versailles,” and noting that she doesn’t travel around the state by helicopter.

Then there are the direct, public breaks from the governor, such as over a gas tax increase — which Mr. Christie ultimately supported after opposing it — or Mr. Christie’s plan to have Horizon, a private insurer, pay for the state’s drug treatment program.

But even on these issues, Ms. Guadagno goes to great lengths to avoid saying Mr. Christie’s name.

“You can negotiate and that’s one thing, and that’s something that’s perfectly legitimate,” she told reporters last month in response to a question about Mr. Christie’s public battles with Horizon, according to The Observer. “But to demand it and take it is another thing. I don’t think that’s something government should do.”

Mr. Ciattarelli has more freedom, having been a bit of a thorn in the governor’s side for years, and he has been upfront about criticizing the governor as he tries to eat into Ms. Guadagno’s lead.

He gave the governor a “D” in an interview with The Star-Ledger and has frequently criticized him as someone who has put his own ambitions above the state’s needs.