TRENTON, NJ — Independent candidate Chris Daggett has picked up a key endorsement in New Jersey’s governor’s race.

The Star-Ledger of Newark, the state’s largest daily newspaper, gave Daggett its backing in an editorial published yesterday. It cited the need for “radical change” in how state government operates, saying Daggett’s election would repudiate the status quo and put “a highly qualified occupant” in the governor’s office.

The “decision is less a rejection of Gov. Jon Corzine and Republican Chris Christie than a repudiation of the parties they represent,” the paper said. “They share responsibility for the state’s current plight.”