Chris Christie withdraws from consideration for 'No Labels' presidential run
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Wednesday turned down an offer to run for president on a "No Labels" ticket.
The No Labels group has struggled to put forward a ticket challenging both former President Trump and President Biden in the 2024 election. The group contacted Christie about a potential run after he appeared to leave the door open to a third-party run in a public interview.
"I appreciate the encouragement I’ve gotten to pursue a third party candidacy. I believe we need a country that once again feels like everyone has a stake in what we're doing and leadership that strives to bring people together, instead of using anger to divide us," Christie said in a statement.
"While I believe this is a conversation that needs to be had with the American people, I also believe that if there is not a pathway to win and if my candidacy in any way, shape or form would help Donald Trump become president again, then it is not the way forward," he added.
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As Christie looked into the possibility of joining a No Labels third-party ticket in recent weeks, sources confirmed to Fox News he commissioned polling before deciding against the move.
Christie had previously shut down the idea of a No Labels run as a "fool's errand" in an interview last year, soon after he launched his second White House bid.
The former two-term governor, who first ran for president in the 2016 cycle, ended his 2024 GOP nomination campaign in mid-January, ahead of the New Hampshire primary.
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The one-time Trump supporter, ally and adviser broke with him over the then-president's attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Biden. Christie became an extremely vocal GOP critic of the former president and made his opposition to Trump a centerpiece of his 2024 White House run.
Earlier this month, No Labels took further steps toward forming a bipartisan presidential ticket in November's general election, as it announced the formation of a committee to vet candidates for a potential ticket.
The announcement of the committee came a week after roughly 800 No Labels delegates who took part in a virtual meeting voted to give a thumbs-up to fielding a presidential ticket.
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No Labels has nevertheless approached several potential candidates in recent months, none of whom have moved forward with a campaign.
Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Original article source:Chris Christie withdraws from consideration for 'No Labels' presidential run
