Former Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie hinted at the possibility of an independent presidential bid after recently suspending his campaign.
What Happened: Christie, during an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Tuesday, did not rule out the possibility of an independent presidential bid. He stated that he "would need to see a path to 270" electoral votes if he decided to run.
Christie, the former governor of New Jersey, withdrew from the Republican presidential race just before the Iowa Caucuses in January. He has not completely closed the door on a third-party presidential run.
“What I’ve said in the past is that, I’d have to see a path for anybody, not just me, but I think anybody who would accept that would need to see a path to 270 electoral votes,” Christie said.
“If there was ever a time in our lifetime when a third-party candidate could make a difference. I think it’s now the question, though, is, what kind of difference.”
One potential avenue for a third-party run is through No Labels, a 501(c)(4) political organization that aims to secure ballot access in all 50 states and D.C. It has so far obtained ballot access in 14 states.
Christie has previously avoided the idea of being a No Labels candidate during his 2024 White House run. However, he did not dismiss the possibility on Tuesday.
See Also: Trumped-up Charges? Poll Reveals What Most Americans Think Of Cases Against Embattled Ex-president
When asked if he would consider being on the No Labels ticket, Christie responded, “Oh, I don’t know. There’d be a long conversation between me and Mary Pat, I can guarantee you that,” referring to his wife.
Christie also mentioned that No Labels has not approached him about running on a potential ticket.
Why It Matters: Christie’s potential independent bid comes after he suspended his 2024 presidential campaign in January. He cited a lack of a clear path to securing the Republican nomination as his reason for suspending the campaign. Christie’s decision to suspend his campaign was primarily aimed at challenging Donald Trump. He promised to ensure that he would not enable Trump to become President of the U.S. again.
After dropping out of the Republican primary race, Christie was caught in a hot mic moment. He was heard making a comment about former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, stating, “She’s gonna get smoked.” However, in his recent interview, he acknowledged that “it was a complete mistake.”
“It’s one of those moments I wish, quite frankly, hadn’t happened, just ’cause it was a distraction. But on the other hand, I didn’t say anything on the hot mic that I didn’t essentially say in the speech that I gave about 10 minutes later,” Christie said.
Meanwhile, the former president is the leading frontrunner in the Republican primary race. According to Real Clear Politics, at the national level, Trump held 73.5% support among GOP voters, While Haley trailed with 18.8% support.
Photo via Shutterstock.
This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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