(Image Credit: Mel Evans/AP Photo)

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is out with the first television ad of his gubernatorial re-election campaign.

Sixty seconds long, the ad will begin running in the major media markets of New York City and Philadelphia today with a large buy of $1.2 million, according to the Christie campaign.

Over images of a gritty New Jersey, the ad begins with the narrator telling the viewer: "Four years ago, New Jersey was broken. Runaway spending, the nation's highest taxes and unemployment was on the rise."

WATCH HERE

"Then we elected Chris Christie. He made the tough decisions to get New Jersey back on track," the narrator reads over images of the Republican governor's swearing-in and what appears to be rebuilding at the Jersey shore. "Taxes cut, spending cut, government made smaller and smarter."

Although the ad doesn't directly mention superstorm Sandy that hit the state six months ago, there are images throughout.

"Working with Democrats and Republicans, believing as long as you stick to your principles, compromise isn't a dirty word," over images of Christie shaking hands and greeting voters, before going to photographs of Christie comforting New Jersey residents after Sandy.

"But the most important thing he did has little to do with numbers, statistics or even politics: He made us proud to say we're from New Jersey."

The ad ends with video of Christie's looking at the Seaside Heights, N.J., skyline and the narrator saying the words: "Chris Christie the governor."

Christie's opponent, Democratic state Sen. Barbara Buono, has yet to launch any television ads.

Christie, 50, is heavily favored in his race against Buono. The most recent Quinnipiac University poll conducted earlier this month showed Christie ahead of Buono by 32 percentage points, 58 to 26 percent. That compares with a 60 to 25 percent lead for Christie in a March 26 survey by Quinnipiac.

This story has been updated since it was first posted.