TEANECK, N.J. – New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is challenging voters and lawmakers to finally get serious about the issue of school choice.

“If we’re truly going to say that our society is one where competition fosters greatness, then it is time to being competition to education. It’s decision time,” Christie said during a recent speech at a New Jersey synagogue, according to The Jewish Standard.

Christie, who is up for re-election next month, told the crowd of 500 that the Garden State spends more money on K-12 education than any state in the nation, but too many of its schools are still “failure factories.”

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He added that injecting competition into the state’s education system will make it more accountable to students and families.

“In every other aspect of American life, we believe that competition creates excellence,” Christie said. “In every other area of American life, we say that our system of democracy, our system of free enterprise, our system of challenging everyone to be their best and reach their full potential is what contributes mightily to the idea that excellence is available for everyone in this country in a way that is different than most countries around the world — except in public education.”

Even though Christie didn’t specifically address the issue of vouchers, Democratic lawmakers understood that’s what he meant – and they’re not interested.

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, a Democrat, said he supports current New Jersey law that provides limited school choice options to special needs students, but he does not favor expanding it much beyond that.

“I will not accept universal vouchers,” Pascrell told the Standard.

That sentiment isn’t likely to change anytime soon, considering the master-servant relationship the New Jersey Education Association has with the state’s Democratic lawmakers. The state’s largest teachers union hates vouchers, so their political servants will continue to hate them, too.

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If voters preserve the Democratic majority in the legislature on Nov. 5, as it appears they will, genuine school choice will remain just a daydream for Christie and other education reformers.

At least New Jersey families have an eloquent and influential leader on their side, and that’s a pretty good start.