The New Jersey Sierra Club just threw a curveball into the gubernatorial -- one that could potentially damage Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine -- with the environmental group endorsing the independent candidate Chris Daggett instead of either Corzine or Republican former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie.

Daggett previously served in the 1980s as environmental protection commission in the administration of Republican Gov. Tom Kean Sr. "The Club endorsed Chris Daggett because he is a person of the highest integrity and has an outstanding environmental record of real achievement," said the state Sierra Club political chairman Rich Isaac, in the group's statement. "Chris Daggett is not beholden to special interests or making backroom deals and has consistently proven that he is committed to protecting the environment."

Corzine has never gotten along well with the state Sierra Club, whose state director Jeff Tittel has called Corzine "the worst environmental administration in state history."

Daggett has scored in the single digits in recent polls. The question is whether he can keep that up, or whether his support will collapse as third-party candidates often do. With state environmental activists backing him, it would seem more likely that he would take votes away from the Democrats as opposed to the Republicans.