Eric Kleefeld December 29, 2010, 1:54 PM

Some more information has come to light on the simultaneous absence in New Jersey of both Gov. Chris Christie (R) and his Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno (R), during a crippling snowstorm that was ultimately managed by the Democratic state Senate President. As it turns out, Guadagno reportedly had a family-related reason to be gone.

As the Camden Courier-Post reports:

Sources in both the State House and the governor’s office said Guadagno’s family was spending time with her father, who has Stage IV cancer. The sources did not want to speak publicly about a private matter.

This would appear to shift more of the blame to Christie, rather than Guadagno, in terms of the complaints about both of them being out of the state during a very serious snowstorm. After all, for her part Guadagno appears to have a very good reason to be absent.

As we posted yesterday, New Jersey did not actually have a lieutenant governor until this past year, with the state Senate President taking over in case of a vacancy or temporary absence of the governor. In 2005, New Jersey voters approved a state constitutional amendment to create the office of lieutenant governor — as a result of high-profile difficulties that this system had created in the past few years — starting with the 2009 election that was ultimately won by the Christie-Guadagno ticket.

However, the simultaneous absences of both Christie and Guadagno had caused the acting governorship to once again revert to the state Senate President, Democrat Steven Sweeney — along with some bad press about Christie being at Disney World while the state was covered in snow.

Christie is expected to arrive back in the state tomorrow.

Chris Christie, Kim Guadagno, NJ-GOV