N.J. taxpayers have been able to save some money by Christie ending his presidential campaign.
TRENTON -- Gov. Chris Christie may have been disappointed when he dropped out of the race for president, but his failed campaign has one benefit for New Jersey taxpayers: It's saving them money.
The price tag to cover the cost of the governor's security detail was cut nearly in half the month after Christie bowed out of the 2016 race, records show.
The State Police's Executive Protection Unit, which serves as the governor's security detail, billed the state $33,315 in March -- down from nearly $58,000 the previous month. The unit spent $170,116 in the first three months of the year.
NJ paid record amount for Christie's security
Taxpayers covered the unit's out-of-state travel costs incurred during Christie's presidential campaign. New Jerseyans have paid at least $2 million since Christie took office to cover out-of-state travel for the governor's security detail, which includes the at least $614,000 paid last year when the governor spent a majority of the year outside of the state.
Not only do the expenses include hotels and restaurant bills, but troopers acted as more than security for the governor on the campaign trail.
They were often Christie's mode of transportation while traveling on the ground in places like Iowa and New Hampshire, where Christie and his campaign staff rode in taxpayer-funded SUVs from one campaign event to the next.
Christie launched his bid for the Republican presidential nomination last June. The out-of-state campaigning, coupled with travel related to his time as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, meant Christie spent 261 partial or full days traveling outside of New Jersey in 2015 -- representing 72 percent of the year.
The governor has criticized media outlets for reporting "partial" days he spent out of state last year, which included short trips he took to neighboring Pennsylvania and New York, where Christie often traveled to appear on news programs or speak at events before returning home. The administration argues Christie spent 190 days out of state last year if you exclude those trips.
That's still 52 percent spent outside New Jersey.
Since ending his campaign, Christie has been a regular presence in New Jersey, holding public events nearly daily and routinely taking questions from the state's press corps.
The protection unit's bills totaled $613,693 for 2015. The costliest period of the year were the final three months 2015, when Christie spent much of his time on the road.
That broke the previous record for EPU costs under Christie, which was in 2014, when taxpayers footed $492,420 for out-of-state travel.
The bills totaled $220,355 in 2013; $248,277 in 2012; $129,842 in 2011 and $64,975 in 2010.
None of those figures include the cost of overtime for the State Police troopers in EPU, which is kept confidential according to state regulations.
Taxpayers continue to foot the bill for the security unit's travel as Christie continues on the 2016 campaign trail, this time for presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump.
Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or on Facebook. Follow NJ.com Politics on Facebook.