TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie is running for re-election.

With less than one year to go before Election Day, Gov. Chris Christie said today he wanted to signal to New Jerseyans that he will be there for the “long haul” to help them as the state recovers from Hurricane Sandy.

“I don’t want to leave now. We have a job to do,” the 50-year-old Christie said at a press conference at the Port Monmouth Fire House in Middletown. “That job won’t be finished by next year and so that’s the other reason I wanted to reassure folks that for those of you who have been so kind and said so many wonderful things about the leadership that we provided. So many people have said to me over the last couple of weeks ‘don’t leave.’ So guess what? I’m not leaving.”

Christie’s decision was first reported by the Associated Press this afternoon.

Michael DuHaime , a top political adviser to the governor, said the paperwork is "somewhat of a formality" to begin the campaign.

Public opinion polls show the governor's popularity at record levels in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. A Fairleigh Dickinson University poll of 241 voters released today showed 77 percent approve of his performance — a sharp rise from before Hurricane Sandy. Even a majority of Democrats approved of the governor.

There is no shortage of potential Democratic challengers to Christie, but the field remains frozen as they await a decision from the top contender: Newark Mayor Cory Booker.

If Booker runs, most political experts say he clears the field. If not, it could be a crowded, bitter, family feud. Many names surface, including Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester); former Gov. Richard Codey, a state senator from Essex County; Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald (D-Camden); State Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex); EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson; Democratic State Chairman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex); and U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6th Dist.).

Although most political insiders expected Christie to run for re-election, the governor said throughout his term that he was undecided, and speculation persisted in some circles that he would not run, choosing instead to lay the groundwork for a 2016 run for president.

Patrick Murray, a pollster at Monmouth University, said the governor’s standing in the polls – which was already strong before Hurricane Sandy but has improved drastically – could scare off top-tier challengers like Booker.

“Bruce Springsteen would have to run against Chris Christie to make this a fair fight…But having said that, we’re still a long ways from next November,” said Murray. “The underlying issues that have dogged Chris Christie in the state still remains: And that has to do with property taxes.”

Christie won election in 2009 by upsetting the unpopular Democratic incumbent, Jon Corzine.

Since them, he has become a national figure because of his bluntness and common-sense approach to governing, and for a time he was courted by some Republicans to run for president.

His popularity has surged because of his leadership during Hurricane Sandy, drawing praise from Democrats and Republicans alike. However, some in his party have criticized Christie for praising President Obama when he toured New Jersey and vowed to aid the stricken state just days before the presidential election. Some even blame Christie for altering the outcome of the election.

nj.com-phone-app-pic3.jpg

STAY CONNECTED 24/7

Download our

free NJ.com mobile and tablet apps

to keep up with the latest New Jersey news, sports and entertainment.

Christie was the first governor to endorse Mitt Romney, one of the many Republican presidential aspirants, and he traveled the country campaigning for the former Massachusetts governor and raising millions of dollars.

During his time in office, Christie has helped usher through landmark legislation, though he has also suffered some bitter defeats. Along with the Democrat-controlled Legislature, he enacted sweeping changes to pension and health benefits despite stiff opposition from state workers, and he got passed a 2 percent property tax cap.

Last spring the Legislature also adopted some of the educational reforms he had sought, including teacher evaluations, though the he failed to do away with the policy of basing the dismissal of teachers on seniority.

On the other side of the balance sheet, the Legislature rejected two of his state Supreme Court nominees, and Democrats have also refused to adopt his 10 percent tax cut despite almost a year-long campaign of town hall meetings.

Follow @starledger

Related coverage:

• Christie's running for N.J. governor again, but will Booker challenge him?

• Poll: Christie's approval rating rises sharply after Sandy, especially among Democrats

• Cory Booker to decide soon whether he'll challenge Chris Christie for Gov. seat

• Cory Booker nipping at Chris Christie's heels in new poll

