Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie officially jumped into the 2024 presidential race on Tuesday, filing paperwork with the Federal Election Commission formally declaring his candidacy.
Mr. Christie will launch his candidacy later Tuesday at a City Hall event in New Hampshire, which is expected to hold the first GOP primary early next year.
His offer is seen as a long shot, and polls show him registering at 1% in many GOP presidential primary surveys. But Mr Christie, 60, is expected to step up attacks on frontrunner and former President Donald Trump in a bid to weaken Mr Trump’s wide margin of support.
Mr Trump’s allies have welcomed Mr Christie into the race, despite Mr Christie’s regular criticism of the former president.
In a statement from Mr. Trump’s aligned super PAC, Make America Great Again Inc., spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Mr. Christie’s decision to run for president signaled the weakness of Trump’s number one opponent. Mr. Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Mr. DeSantis is the only GOP candidate other than Mr. Trump to vote in double digits, but he trails the former president by at least 20 points in most polls.
“Ron DeSantis’ campaign is skyrocketing, and President Trump’s dominance of the Republican primary field has opened up a mad scramble to grab the runner-up role,” Ms. Leavitt said. “Ron DeSantis isn’t ready for this moment, and Chris Christie won’t waste time eating DeSantis’ lunch.”
Mr. Christie is among three candidates who will enter the presidential race this week.
Former Vice President Mike Pence is expected to announce his campaign in Iowa on Wednesday and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum will declare his candidacy, also on Wednesday, at an event in Fargo.