Gov. Chris Sununu seems to be inching closer to launching a presidential bid for 2024, especially after reports emerged earlier this week that the New Hampshire governor is beefing up a campaign committee intended to gauge donor interest.
During an event with Politico earlier this week, Sununu hinted at launching a White House bid in the coming months, painting himself as a strong conservative candidate who could still play a moderate hand in some social issues. However, the New Hampshire Republican voiced concerns the GOP primary pool could get too crowded, warning too many options would weaken the field.
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“You don’t want a crowded field ultimately. I’ve had people say, ‘Well, don’t get in because it’ll dilute the field,’” Sununu said on Thursday. “Well, I don’t care who gets in, as long as we all have the discipline to know to get out. Right? You got to get out if it ain’t happening. If it ain’t pulling, then get the heck out of the race. This ain’t isn’t working for you.”
Former President Donald Trump is the only major candidate so far to declare his candidacy for the GOP nomination, but others are not far behind. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is expected to announce her candidacy next week, with Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also expected to join the pool in the coming months.
Sununu has long been considered a contender for the White House in 2024, although it has remained unclear whether the New Hampshire governor will officially throw his hat in the ring. Those prospects became even more unclear after Sununu decided to pass on a Senate run for the 2022 cycle, declining at the time to run for higher office.
Sununu once again raised eyebrows earlier this week when it was reported he had created the “Live Free or Die” political committee to help raise money for travel and other political events. The move was considered a major step toward declaring his candidacy as politicians usually form such committees in order to gauge donor interest for a future run.
However, Sununu brushed off the announcement, telling Politico the committee has been in existence for several months.
“That’s been around for a long time, I don’t know why it just got news yesterday,” Sununu said on Thursday. “That was created last summer [or] last fall or something. I’m not exactly sure when. And it’s just it’s more of a vehicle that helps with the logistics [as] people are asking me to travel around.”
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“They’ve been asking me to travel across the country for almost a year,” Sununu added. “And I’ve been doing a lot of it. I talked to political groups on how Republicans can win. I talked to business groups, I talked to industry leaders, I talked to think tanks. I think we’ve got an awesome model, and if that turns into something down the road, it does.”
The New Hampshire governor remained tight-lipped on whether he’s fully on board to launch a presidential campaign, noting there is still “so much politics to be floated out here.”
