The Democratic challenger running against Chris Christie says she isn’t making the Republican’s weight a campaign issue, yet released a letter from her doctor on Tuesday revealing that she only weighs 125 pounds.
“She has never smoked cigarettes,” Dr. Jeffery L. Carson wrote of state Sen. Barbara Buono. “Her diet is excellent. Senator Buono runs regularly and is physically fit.”
Carson’s letter, dated Tuesday, was published on the website PolitickerNJ.com. He said she weights 124.6 pounds.
Both Christie and Buono said during a debate last week that they would release medical records.
“In summary, Senator Buono is in excellent health and has no significant medical problems,” Carson wrote. “She is physically able to serve as governor of the state of New Jersey.”
Christie has acknowledged that he’s heavier than he’d like. He had lap band weight loss surgery earlier this year.
MSNBC’s Chris Matthews asked Buono in April if she would run make Christie’s weight a campaign issue. “Does that work in Jersey?” he asked. “Taking on the guy’s weight?”
“I’m going to run a campaign on issues,” she responded.
But last month, Buono appeared to use the “weight-card” against the New Jersey governor when she said, “Now I don’t know about you, but seeing Chris Christie frolicking on the beach is not going to drive me to go the shore.”
In 2009, Christie’s Democratic opponent, former Gov. Jon Corzine, accused Christie of throwing “his weight around.”