Gov. Chris Christie has had a significant advantage for months. But the Democratic lean of the Garden State, and the potential that his good standing would wane after Superstorm Sandy, gave us some pause in the certainty of the governor’s re-election.

That caution looks unnecessary at this point.

With five weeks until Election Day, Christie enjoys a comfortable lead over Democrat Barbara Buono, and his personal and job approval ratings continue to hover near 60 percent. That’s a recipe for re-election.

We will have to see if or how Christie’s standing with Republican presidential primary voters changes after he wins a second term in a blue state.

The New Jersey gubernatorial race is now rated Safe Republican, bumped up from Republican Favored, by Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call.