During his campaign, Christie, vowed to cut state spending, decrease taxes and revitalize the state's industry and inner cities, but had been criticized for not being specific enough on how he would do it.
In the coming months, Christie's going to have to lay out the specifics, political analysts say, and getting them accomplished over the next four years won't be easy.
"There's going to be a lot of pressure on him to not cut the budget and there's going to be a lot of pressure on him to not raise taxes," said Peter Woolley, a political-science professor at Farleigh Dickinson University. "That's what I call a rock and a hard place right there."
Christie, Woolley said, has major hurdles ahead that have tripped up past governors, including a looming $8 billion budget deficit, the highest property taxes in the nation and a Democrat-controlled state legislature, all wrapped up in an devastated economy.
The Democrats, Woolley said, will not play nice.
"There will be some ceremony about cooperation with the new governor, but I doubt it will last very long," he said.
Christie, a married father of four from Mendham Township, won early support in the campaign for his image as a tough-talking sheriff who, while U.S attorney, won convictions or guilty pleas against 130 public officials on both side of the political aisle.
During his victory speech, Christie's tough talk came out again.
"Starting tomorrow, we are gonna pick Trenton up and turn it upside down," he said, to a round of raucous applause.
Crystal Evans, a Democratic councilwoman in Gloucester Township, Camden County, supported Christie and said she believes his experience will enable him to cut through the Trenton fog.
"He knows the law and he's not going to put up with any nonsense," said Evans, 45. "It's gonna change the way we do things as usual.
