Former New Jersey GOP Gov. Chris Christie will be in search of a “pathway to winning” when he travels to New Hampshire Monday.
Christie has long teased that he is mulling the prospect of mounting a 2024 campaign and indicated that a decision will come down before summertime. His Granite State appearance will feature a town hall-style at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics and marks his first public trip to New Hampshire this year.
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“There’s no question that if you find that you’re connecting with people, that makes you more encouraged to want to get out there and try to get into the battle,” Christie told Fox News. “I think the most important thing is to go out there, be authentic, be yourself, and see how people react to that.”
His three criteria for running are to find a pathway to victory, gauge whether he believes he has something to offer, and receive the backing of his family. Christie underscored that both he and his wife “haven’t made any decisions yet.”
“If I answer yes to all three of those questions, then I’ll run. If I answer no to one of them, then I won’t,” Christie added.
Christie was widely seen as a rising star within the GOP back around the 2012 cycle, even topping former President Barack Obama in some polling. He ultimately opted not to run and waited until 2016, when he hedged his bets on New Hampshire, but finished in a distant sixth place before dropping out of the race altogether.
In the time since, Christie has maintained a public portfolio, opining on the issues of the day from his ABC commentary perch. Having been one of the earliest 2016 GOP primary contenders to back Donald Trump, Christie has since emerged as a critic of the former president.
He sees connecting with the voters as more important than “war chests and name ID,” particularly at this stage.
“Those kinds of things this early on are really not that important. What matters more is how you connect to voters and what you have to say. If that’s something that resonates with them, they’ll move in your direction,” Christie said.
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Currently, the 2024 GOP primary is dominated by Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), who has consistently polled as the top contenders.
So far, candidates Trump, Nikki Haley, and Vivek Ramaswamy are the three major declared candidates. A trove of others are eyeing a 2024 run and are expected to make decisions about mounting a campaign within the coming weeks.
