New Jersey Gov. Christie hospitalized

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was hospitalized on Thursday for breathing difficulties due to asthma.

State troopers driving the governor to a bill-signing ceremony in Hillsborough, N.J., headed for the emergency room of Somerset Medical Center in Somerset County instead when he complained of feeling “uncomfortable" and "a little bit slight of breath,” according to his spokeswoman Maria Comella.

Tests ruled out any serious problems, Comella said. The governor spent the day “in charge and at work” from his hospital bed, she added. Control of the state was not transferred to Lieutenant Gov. Kim Guadagno, Bloomberg reports.

Christie, 48, who is overweight and uses an inhaler daily to control his asthma, sought medical treatment “out of an abundance of caution,” his spokesman Michael Drewniak said. The last time Christie needed emergency treatment for asthma was when he was in law school, Drewniak added.

Christie’s weight became an issue in the 2009 race for New Jersey governor when his Democrat opponent Jon Corzine suggested that he might not be physically up to the job, the Associated Press notes. Corzine released an ad accusing Christie of "throwing his weight around" to get out of traffic citations while he was U.S. attorney. Christie responded by telling Corzine to "man up and say I'm fat."

Christie’s blunt manner and commitment to slashing spending has endeared him to many Republicans, who are urging him to run for president in 2012.