Barbara Buono, "I just filed my papers, and I’m running for Governor!"

State Senator Barbra Buono  (D-Metuchen) has become the first Democrat in the state to throw her hat into the ring to challenge Gov. Christie in next year's 2013 gubernatorial campaign. She filed the paperwork earlier this morning.

I have meet her on several occasions over the past couple of years and I have to say, she'll be a fantastic candidate that shouldn't be underestimated or counted out. She is one tough cookie!

The question remains however, who else will take the plunge to challenge Buono for the Democratic nomination? A lot of names have been thrown about lately; former Governor Dick Cody, NJ State Senate President Steve Sweeney, Newark Mayor Cory Booker (the 8 hundred pound gorilla in the room), and Congressmen Bill Pascrell, Jr. and Frank Pallone to name a few. We'll have to wait and see.

In the mean time, take a look at the video posted by Senator Buono on YouTube announcing her candidacy.

"All of us are focused on rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, but we have so much more to do. Under Governor Christie, our middle class has taken a beating. Property taxes have shot up and so has unemployment, now the highest in three decades. And we've fallen to 47th out of 50 states in economic growth.

It's time for a leader in Trenton who will put the middle class first -- lifting our schools instead of scapegoating our teachers; protecting property taxpayers rather than pushing income tax cuts for millionaires..." - NJ State Senator Barabra Buono