Chris Christie he decided not to run for president alongside No Labels, leaving the centrist group without another leading candidate for its suggested third-party ticket.
The former New Jersey governor, who ended his second Republican presidential bid before the start of this year’s primaries, mentioned that he had received “encouragement” to consider a third-party candidacy, but decided to don’t do it, Politico reported.
Christie had contemplated the possibility of a third-party presidential bid, suggesting he run on a unified ticket proposed by No Labels.
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“I believe we need a country that once again feels that everyone has a stake in what we are doing and leadership that strives to bring people together, rather than using anger to divide us. While I believe this is a conversation that needs to be had with the American people, I also believe that if there is no path to winning and if my candidacy in any way, shape or form could help Donald Trump become president again , then that’s not the way to go,” Christie said in a send on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday.
Christie, known for criticizing Trump, initially rejected the idea of a third-party candidacy, directly challenging the former president in the primaries. However, she reconsidered the option after withdrawing from the Republican race.
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After leaving the race in January, Christie said: “I will make sure that in no way do I allow Donald Trump to be president of the United States again. And this is more important than my personal ambition.”
No Labels faced a series of rejections. Sen. Joe Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema have both rejected the idea of running for president on a third-party ticket.
Additionally, former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland, considered another potential candidate, chose instead to pursue a Senate bid.
More recently, the group faced another setback when former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan rejected its offer.
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This content was partially produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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