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Chris Christie 2024 presidential campaign

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For his 2016 campaign, see Chris Christie 2016 presidential campaign.

Chris Christie for President
Campaign2024 Republican primaries
2024 U.S. presidential election
CandidateChris Christie
55th Governor of New Jersey (2010–2018)
AffiliationRepublican Party
StatusAnnounced: June 6, 2023
Suspended: January 10, 2024
HeadquartersJersey City, New Jersey
SloganBecause the truth matters[1]
Website
chrischristie.com
Chris Christie
55th Governor of New Jersey

The 2024 presidential campaign of Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey, was formally launched on June 6, 2023, at an event in Manchester, New Hampshire. He was seeking the Republican Party nomination in its 2024 presidential primaries.[2] He withdrew from the race on January 10, 2024.[3]

Background

[edit]

Christie served as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey from January 2002 to December 2008 during the presidency of George W. Bush. In 2009, Christie was elected governor of New Jersey, defeating incumbent Democratic governor Jon Corzine. He was reelected by a wide margin in 2013, defeating State Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono. On June 30, 2015, he announced his campaign for the Republican nomination for president in the 2016 Republican primaries. He dropped out of the race on February 10, 2016, after a poor showing in the New Hampshire primary,[4] and endorsed eventual winner Donald Trump.[5] He left office as governor of New Jersey in 2018 and was succeeded by Democrat Phil Murphy.[6]

Christie was an ally of Trump during most of his presidency, but he refused to support claims of voter fraud after the 2020 presidential election because Trump could not provide him with any evidence.[7][8] During the January 6 Capitol attack, Christie phoned Trump to attempt to persuade him to end the violence, but Trump did not pick up.[9] Thereafter, Christie distanced himself from Trump and voiced support for Trump's second impeachment.[10]

Pre-campaign speculation

[edit]

In a December 2020 interview with radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt, Christie said he wouldn't "rule out" a presidential run in the 2024 presidential election.[11] In October 2022, Christie appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher, where he responded "sure" when asked if he was open to a potential 2024 presidential bid.[12] In April 2023, Christie criticized Florida governor Ron DeSantis's feud with The Walt Disney Company, claiming it showed a lack of conservative values.[13] On May 31, 2023, Axios reported that Christie was expected to announce his candidacy the following week on June 6[14] after his allies formed a super PAC ahead of the bid.[15]

Announcement

[edit]

On June 6, 2023, Christie filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to enter the race, and announced his presidential bid later that day in Manchester, New Hampshire.[16][17] During his announcement, which was also in the format of a forum, Christie heavily criticized Trump for both his actions as president and his numerous indictments.[18] Christie's campaign was supported by the Tell It Like It Is Super PAC.[19] On June 12, 2023, Christie held a town hall meeting hosted by Anderson Cooper at CNN. When asked how he differed from other Republican candidates, Christie responded, "I governed in a blue state, and made things happen".[20] Despite other Republican presidential candidates vowing to remove Christopher Wray as director of the FBI, when asked, Christie said he would have kept him if elected president.[20]

Campaign

[edit]
Christie at the Republican Jewish Coalition in October 2023.

On July 12, Christie announced that his campaign had met the donor requirement to participate in the August primary debate.[21] In order to participate in that debate, Christie was required to sign a loyalty pledge from the Republican National Committee stating he would support the eventual nominee. Christie has criticized the pledge, calling it a "useless idea," but nevertheless signed the pledge in order to debate.[22]

On August 4, 2023, Christie made an unannounced trip to Ukraine, visiting the city of Bucha, the site of a massacre of civilians by Russian forces.[23] Later in the day, Christie met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, praising Ukraine's fight against Russia and reiterating his support for arming Ukraine. According to Christie, he and Zelenskyy did not discuss the U.S. presidential race. Christie was the second Republican presidential candidate, following Mike Pence, to visit Ukraine.[24]

On October 3, Christie and opponent Vivek Ramaswamy were due to debate in a segment on Special Report with Bret Baier on Fox News. However, the Republican National Committee (RNC) contacted Baier and threatened to ban Christie and Ramaswamy from attending future primary debates if they were to debate on Baier's show.[25] Christie has regarded the RNC's statements as a "cause for concern".[26]

Christie officially filed in the New Hampshire Republican primary in Concord on October 19, 2023.[27]

On November 13, 2023, National Review called on Christie, alongside Doug Burgum, to drop out of the race citing the end of the Mike Pence and Tim Scott campaigns. The National Review argued that Christie is not running to actually win the election, but rather to build name-recognition and that his opposition to Trump is halfhearted due to his endorsement of Trump in 2016.[28] In a response, Christie said he did not care where he was in national polling by explaining that there is no national primary and touting his good showing in New Hampshire polling.[29]

Following his announcement that he would campaign until at least the Michigan primary of February 27, New York outlined Christie as a "bitter end" candidate, comparing him to Ron Paul's 2012 campaign, stating that there was no chance the Republican establishment would ever flip to his side but he would continue his race out of a perceived moral obligation. New York went on to state that:[30]

"Chris Christie’s path to the 2024 Republican presidential nomination will never be more viable than it was the day he announced his candidacy. So while there’s not much point in him continuing his candidacy today or tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, he really does have nothing to lose by sticking around."

On December 2, 2023, the deadline to submit the 2,000 signatures required to appear as a candidate on the ballot in Maine passed and Christie, alongside Asa Hutchinson, failed to submit the required signatures. The Secretary of State of Maine reported that Christie's campaign only submitted 844 signatures, however, Christie disputed this, stating he submitted over 6,000.[31][32]

Christie withdrew from the race on January 10, 2024, stating that "[i]t’s clear to me tonight that there isn’t a path for me to win the nomination".[33]

Attacks on Trump

[edit]

Unlike many other candidates in the 2024 Republican primaries, Christie focused most of his campaign on attacking Trump. He pledged to not support Trump if he became the nominee.

Guys from New Jersey are used to dealing with obnoxious blowhards from New York.[34]

—Chris Christie referring to Donald Trump

In his June 6 announcement, Christie described Trump as a "lonely, self-consumed, self-serving mirror hog."[35][36] He has blamed Trump for the Republican under-performance in the 2022 midterm elections because candidates who were endorsed by Trump evidently lost their elections.[37] In an interview on CNN, Christie described the federal prosecution of Trump as "very, very evidence-filled", and described Trump's handling of government documents as "bad" and "irresponsible".[38] At the same time, Christie criticized other Republican candidates for defending Trump.[36][39] Christie has also said that if he was elected president, he "can't imagine" pardoning Trump, something most other candidates have pledged to do.[40]

When referring to the loyalty pledge to participate in the August debate, Christie said he would take it "...as seriously as Donald Trump did…" during the 2016 Republican primaries.[41] Censured former GOP Representative Adam Kinzinger, who himself had denounced Trump following January 6, predicted Trump had skipped the first debate because he was "scared to death" of Christie.[42] Kinzinger's PAC, Country First, also sent out emails encouraging donors to give to Christie's campaign in an effort to get him on the debate stage in August.[43] The PAC also directly donated to Christie's campaign.[44]

Suspension

[edit]

Shortly before he dropped out of the race on January 10, 2024, Christie was caught on a hot mic, criticizing both Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, who were set to debate later that evening. Christie was heard predicting Haley was "gonna get smoked" in the race against Donald Trump in New Hampshire, despite polls showing single digit margins between Trump and Haley.[45] Shortly after the comments emerged, DeSantis posted on X, "I agree with Christie that Nikki Haley is 'going to get smoked.'"[46]

Positions

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A New Jersey Republican, Christie is considered to be a moderate conservative.[47]

In his early political career, Christie opposed same sex marriage and vetoed several bills that would have legalized it in New Jersey while he was governor.[48] His stance on same sex marriage has evolved over time;[49] in 2013 he voiced support for New Jersey's civil union law, which extended to gay couples the same legal benefits of marriage with regard to state law;[50] and in 2022 he said he "respects same-sex marriage and considers it legally settled."[51]

As governor, he refused to legalize marijuana in New Jersey,[52] although his successor, Phil Murphy, legalized marijuana for New Jersey adults in 2021.[53] Christie has said he supports certain gun control measures and accepts the scientific consensus on climate change.[54][55]

Polling

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Christie consistently polled between one percent and six percent throughout his campaign.[56] He dismissed the polls and stated that higher numbers do not necessarily indicate a primary victory.[57]

In the months leading up to his announcement, various media outlets viewed Christie as a likely contender in the Republican primaries, but pre-election polling showed him polling far behind Trump, who had announced his fourth presidential campaign in November 2022.[58]

In an August 7 poll by NH Journal, Christie tied for second place with Ron DeSantis in the primary state of New Hampshire with both at nine percent.[59] An August 17 poll by FiveThirtyEight placed Christie at second place in New Hampshire with 14 percent, only behind Donald Trump, who polled at 34 percent.[60] Christie focused on New Hampshire and hoped to defeat Trump there.[61] When interviewed by Chris Cuomo on September 14, Christie pledged that, if he did not end up "top 4" in the New Hampshire primary, he would drop out of the race.[62]

Christie saw a surge of support among Democratic voters after announcing his candidacy.[63] In a New York Times/Siena College poll in September 2023, 24 percent of Democratic or Democratic leaning voters said they would likely vote for Christie if he became the Republican nominee.[64]

Public perception

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Christie was named among Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2011 and 2013.[65][66][relevant?]

Approval ratings during Christie's tenure as governor ranged from a record high to a record low.[67] Following Hurricane Sandy and his response to it, various polls indicated his approval rating was near 80 percent.[68][69] It remained above 60 percent until January 2014[70][71][72] and above 50 percent until August 2014.[73][74][75] Christie finished his second term as governor with an approval rating between 19 percent and 22 percent—the lowest for any governor at that time.[67][76][77] In a poll conducted by Monmouth University in late April and early May 2021—three years after Christie left office—64 percent of New Jersey residents viewed Christie unfavorably, while 26 percent viewed him favorably, showing only a slight improvement since he left office.[77] Of those questioned, 19 percent said that he would make a good president, while 59 percent said that he would not.[77]

Endorsements

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Main article: Endorsements in the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries § Chris Christie

References

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  1. ^ Woodall, Candy (June 22, 2023). "Christie calls Trump a crybaby and loser for threatening to skip debates: 'Get in the ring pal'". USA Today. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  2. ^ Pengelly, Martin (June 6, 2023). "Chris Christie, ex-New Jersey governor, launches 2024 presidential run". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  3. ^ "Chris Christie ends his Republican presidential bid, criticizing his rivals on his way out". Associated Press. January 10, 2024.
  4. ^ "Chris Christie Drops Out of Presidential Race After New Hampshire Flop". The New York Times. February 11, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  5. ^ "Chris Christie endorses Donald Trump for Republican party nomination". NJ.com. February 26, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  6. ^ Linley Sanders (January 16, 2018). "Who Is Replacing Chris Christie? Obama-Backed Phil Murphy Eyes Marijuana and Gun Control in New Jersey". Newsweek. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  7. ^ Duster, Chandelis (November 22, 2021). "Chris Christie says 2020 election lies were his 'red line' with Trump". CNN. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  8. ^ Terruso, Julia (June 1, 2023). "Former N.J. Gov. Chris Christie to run for president as Trump critic". PennLive Patriot-News. Tribune News Service. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  9. ^ Allen, Mike (November 15, 2021). "Inside Chris Christie's breakup with Trump". Axios. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  10. ^ Bowden, John (February 7, 2022). "Chris Christie says Capitol attack was 'incited by Donald Trump' to 'overturn the election'". The Independent. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  11. ^ Johnson, Brent (December 22, 2020). "Christie says he won't 'rule out' running for president in 2024 even if he has to challenge Trump". NJ.com. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  12. ^ Notheis, Asher (October 8, 2022). "Chris Christie reveals he is considering 2024 bid". Washington Examiner. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  13. ^ Haberman, Maggie (April 18, 2023). "Chris Christie, Eyeing '24 Run, Takes Shots at DeSantis". The New York Times. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  14. ^ Allen, Mike (May 31, 2023). "Scoop: Chris Christie to announce GOP presidential campaign next week". Axios. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  15. ^ Jimenez, Omar; Maher, Kit (May 31, 2023). "Christie to announce 2024 bid next Tuesday in New Hampshire". CNN. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  16. ^ Kreig, Gregory; Shelton, Shania (June 6, 2023). "Chris Christie announces 2024 presidential campaign in New Hampshire". CNN. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  17. ^ Axelrod, Tal (June 6, 2023). "Chris Christie, one of GOP's loudest anti-Trump voices, files paperwork for presidential bid". ABC News. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  18. ^ Ax, Joseph; Beech, Eric (June 7, 2023). "Christie takes aim at 'self-serving' Trump as he launches White House bid". Reuters. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  19. ^ "Tell It Like It Is". Tell It Like It Is. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  20. ^ a b Hammond, Elise (June 12, 2023). "CNN town hall with Chris Christie". CNN. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  21. ^ Zhang, Andrew (July 12, 2023). "Chris Christie says he has 40,000 donors, clearing a barrier to qualify for GOP debate". Politico. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  22. ^ Concepcion, Summer (June 18, 2023). "Chris Christie says RNC loyalty pledge is a 'useless idea'". NBC News. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  23. ^ "Chris Christie makes surprise visit to Ukraine, meets with Zelenskyy". CBS News. August 4, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  24. ^ Frazier, Kierra (August 4, 2023). "Christie visits Zelenskyy, takes shot at Trump during surprise Ukraine trip". Politico. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  25. ^ Nguyen, Alex (October 3, 2023). "RNC: Christie, Ramaswamy Forbidden From Staging Separate Fox News Debate". Daily Beast. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  26. ^ Main, Alison; Pellish, Aaron (October 3, 2023). "Christie says RNC blocked planned joint discussion with Ramaswamy on Fox". CNN. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  27. ^ Prichard, Matt (October 19, 2023). "Chris Christie continues his criticism of Trump while filing for NH primary". NBC Boston. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  28. ^ McLaughlin, Dan (November 13, 2023). "Chris Christie and Doug Burgum Should Be Next". National Review. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  29. ^ Caralle, Katelyn (November 15, 2023). "Chris Christie sarcastically quips as he dismisses concern over low showing in national polls and points to the states". MSN. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  30. ^ Kilgore, Ed (November 27, 2023). "Christie Vows to Continue Doomed Campaign to the Bitter End". New York. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  31. ^ "Chris Christie fails to make it onto Maine's GOP primary election ballot". United Press International. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  32. ^ Robertson, Nick (December 2, 2023). "Christie, Hutchinson absent from Maine GOP primary ballot". The Hill. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  33. ^ Barnett, Emma; Haake, Garrett; Schwartz, Brian (January 10, 2024). "Former N.J. governor Chris Christie drops out of 2024 presidential election race". NBC News. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  34. ^ Graham, Michael (October 20, 2023). "As Christie Files for FITN, Sununu Prepares To Play GOP Enforcer". NH Journal. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  35. ^ Colvin, Jill; Ramer, Holly (June 7, 2023). "Christie goes after Trump in presidential campaign launch, calling him a 'self-serving mirror hog'". AP News. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  36. ^ a b Jackson, David (June 13, 2023). "'Loser, loser, loser:' Chris Christie attacks, taunts, and mocks Donald Trump". USA Today. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  37. ^ Vakil, Caroline (June 8, 2023). "Christie points to Trump for GOP losses: 'We're tired of losing'". The Hill. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  38. ^ Ewing, Giselle Ruhiyyih (June 10, 2023). "Christie: '24 voters should focus on Trump's conduct, facts of the case". Politico. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  39. ^ Goldenberg, Sally (June 15, 2023). "It's not just Trump. Christie's gunning for DeSantis, too". Politico. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  40. ^ Mueller, Julia (July 13, 2023). "Christie 'can't imagine' pardon for Trump in documents case". The Hill. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  41. ^ Mondeaux, Cami (June 16, 2023). "RNC won't drop party loyalty pledge requirement despite pushback from GOP candidates". Washington Examiner. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  42. ^ Suter, Tara (August 22, 2023). "Trump 'scared to death' of Christie, Kinzinger says". The Hill. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  43. ^ Kapos, Shia (July 12, 2023). "Pritzker goes global". POLITICO. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  44. ^ "Christie campaign raised $1.65 million in 25 days to close out second quarter". NBC News. July 15, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  45. ^ Krieg, Gregory; Main, Alison; Chalian, David; Zeleny, Jeff (January 10, 2024). "Chris Christie skewers Haley and DeSantis on hot mic before ending 2024 campaign". CNN. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  46. ^ Vakil, Caroline (January 10, 2024). "Christie on hot mic says Haley's 'gonna get smoked'". The Hill. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  47. ^ "Is Chris Christie the Last Moderate Republican Left in America?". The Atlantic. October 21, 2013. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  48. ^ Kate Zernike (February 17, 2012). "Christie Vetoes Gay Marriage Bill". The New York Times. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  49. ^ "NJ governor Chris Christie signs ban on gay conversion therapy". The Mercury News. August 19, 2013. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  50. ^ Reeve, Elspeth (February 26, 2013). "Chris Christie Is Becoming Democrats' Favorite Republican". The Atlantic. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  51. ^ Arnsdorf, Isaac; Dawsey, Josh; Knowles, Hannah (July 2, 2023). "Republican opposition to LGBTQ rights erupts in backlash to Pride Month". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  52. ^ Fearnow, Benjamin (April 22, 2014). "Christie Slams Marijuana Legalization & Colorado: 'Never, As Long As I'm Governor'". CBS Colorado. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  53. ^ Folley, Aris (February 22, 2021). "New Jersey governor signs bills legalizing marijuana". The Hill. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  54. ^ NJ.com, NJ Advance Media for (January 15, 2018). "N.J. bans gun device used in Las Vegas shooting after Christie signs bill". NJ.com. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
  55. ^ Cama, Timothy (May 8, 2015). "Chris Christie: 'Global warming is real'". The Hill. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  56. ^ "FiveThirtyEight: Latest Polls". June 28, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  57. ^ Bump, Philip (July 10, 2023). "Analysis | The problem with the 'it's still early' line from non-Trump Republicans". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
  58. ^ Tran, Ken (May 31, 2023). "Chris Christie wants to take down Donald Trump: Why New Hampshire could be key in 2024". USAToday. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  59. ^ Vakil, Caroline (August 8, 2023). "Christie, DeSantis tied for second in New Hampshire behind Trump: poll". Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  60. ^ "FiveThirtyEight: New Hampshire's Latest Polls". June 28, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  61. ^ Vakil, Caroline (August 17, 2023). "Christie sees path in New Hampshire to beat Trump". The Hill. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  62. ^ Dickey, Josh (September 15, 2023). "Christie Suggests He'll Quit Presidential Race If He's Not 'Top 4' in New Hampshire: 'I'm just being practical'". The Wrap. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  63. ^ Strauss, Daniel; Segers, Grace (June 23, 2023). "Christie's Weird Appeal Among Democrats". The New Republic. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  64. ^ McCarthy, Mia; Kashinsky, Lisa (September 4, 2023). "Chris Christie is actually gaining support for president... from Democrats". Politico. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  65. ^ "The 2011 TIME 100 Poll: Chris Christie". TIME. April 4, 2011. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  66. ^ Doherty, Ginjer (April 18, 2013). "The 2013 TIME 100 Poll: Chris Christie". TIME. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  67. ^ a b "Christie approvals at 19% in new poll". NewJerseyGlobe. January 9, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  68. ^ Sam Cabral, Chris Christie: The former governor who wants to be US president, BBC News (June 6, 2023).
  69. ^ Eliza Relman (January 16, 2018). "It's Chris Christie's last day in office — here's how he became the least popular governor in New Jersey history". Insider.
  70. ^ "Chris Christie Dragged Further Under the Bridge" (PDF). Monmouth University. February 24, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 8, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  71. ^ "Christie Approval Rating Dips 20 Points Over Past Year". RealClearPolitics. February 25, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  72. ^ "Chris Christie's approval rating stabilizes". CBS News. April 2, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  73. ^ Topaz, Jonathan (August 7, 2014). "Christie net approval lowest since '11". Politico. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  74. ^ Miller, Jake (August 7, 2014). "Christie's approval still lags". CBS News. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  75. ^ Schwarz, Hunter (September 26, 2014). "Chris Christie's popularity in New Jersey is down". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  76. ^ Dawsey, Josh (November 17, 2017). "Regrets? Chris Christie Has a Few". Politico. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  77. ^ a b c "Christie most unpopular ex-governor, remembered most for scandals". Monmouth University. May 18, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
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