THE BURNED OVER DISTRICT

But now that the Outlaw Jersey Whale Chris Christie is getting himself pumped up about his White House run, he has essentially forgotten about his responsibilities as Governor of New Jersey.

Gov. Chris Christie’s return to New Jersey was swift and efficient: He flew to his home state on Monday night after a campaign trip to Iowa. The next day, he sliced through a towering pile of legislation awaiting his signature, approving 93 bills and blocking 62 others from becoming law.

By Wednesday, Mr. Christie was off to address the State Legislature — in Concord, N.H.

The governor’s drive-through appearance in New Jersey was no aberration. As Mr. Christie, a Republican, pursues a long-shot bid for the presidency, he has nearly vanished from the State Capitol in Trenton.

A review of his activities in New Jersey found that Mr. Christie, who has started past years by proposing grand legislative compromises on issues like public pensions and criminal justice, has called on lawmakers to pass only one specific law in 2016.

Mr. Christie spent 191 days entirely outside New Jersey last year, and since 2016 began, he has held only two public events in the state: his annual State of the State address, and a joint appearance with legislative leaders to unveil an agreement on casino regulation.

The governor has also been using his executive powers only sparingly, creating just two commissions and task forces over the last year, compared with the roughly two dozen he convened in his first term. When he has issued executive orders, it has most often been to lower the state flag in honor of someone’s death.

Being criticized for spending more time on the campaign trail than at home is an occupational hazard for sitting governors running for president, but Mr. Christie’s absence has been particularly felt in New Jersey.

Democrats and Republicans in Trenton described Mr. Christie as having abandoned the commanding political role he played earlier in his tenure, when by force of personality and public argument he cajoled Democratic lawmakers into enacting sweeping reforms.

And there is no doubt that the upcoming snowstorm gives him an extra reason to be out of state.