MANCHESTER, NH — Chris Christie may soon attempt another presidential campaign, focusing on a state that flatly rejected him when he last ran for the White House in 2016: New Hampshire.
The former New Jersey governor has been considering whether to run for months and is testing the waters of New Hampshire against other key early voting states such as Iowa, South Carolina and Nevada. It could be a tactical decision – the path of a long Christie campaign in a crowded GOP field could cross the Granite State.
Christie has become known as perhaps one of former President Donald Trump’s most vocal critics, calling him a ‘coward’ and a ‘Putin puppet’ in May on the radio host’s show curator Hugh Hewitt.
His brashness and unapologetic political style could give Christie a slim chance, but a chance nonetheless, of winning New Hampshire’s first primary.
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Why New Hampshire rather than Iowa for 2024?
Christie finished virtually last in 2016 on primary day in New Hampshire, which proved to be the death knell for his campaign, dropping out of the race shortly after the primary. But 2024 could turn out to be different for the governor of New Jersey, who now has only one target: Trump.
“New Hampshire has proven over the years that they really appreciate these really genuine straight-shooting candidates,” said Jim Merrill, a veteran New Hampshire-based GOP consultant.
The key to New Hampshire, Merrill said, is that the state is slightly more centered than Iowa, which is more conservative but holds the first contest before New Hampshire in the form of caucuses. As a result, Christie could see more success with her messaging in the Granite State.
“Even though this is the Republican primary, you’re also appealing to undeclared voters who may be conservatives who don’t feel that party affiliation or who may be moderates who are really kind of in the middle” , added Merrill. “It’s a wider swath of the electorate.”
Christie takes aim at Trump as GOP frontrunner
Trump is the candidate to beat, holding a large lead according to several polls in crucial early-voting states such as New Hampshire. Even then, most GOP candidates declined to sue the former president, perhaps out of fear of alienating his base.
But Christie hasn’t been shy about hitting the former president on almost any controversy surrounding Trump.
“He undermined our democracy. And the only reason he undermined our democracy is because he was pissed,” Christie said, criticizing Trump for his repeated false allegations of fraud in the 2020 election and his attempts to reverse his loss. “He undermined our democracy because he was angry that we didn’t re-elect him.”
At another New Hampshire town hall, Christie said the only way to defeat the frontrunner was to go after Trump as much as possible, a clue to what was to come out of a 2024 Christie presidential campaign.
“You have to be fearless because it will come back to you,” Christie said. “So you have to think about who has the skills to do this and who has the guts to do this because it’s not going to end well. Either way, it’s not going to be a calm and quiet ending.”
Christie’s unrestrained attitude toward criticism of Trump could impress undecided voters in New Hampshire who are looking for a candidate with a no-holds-barred approach.
“We are looking for integrity,” Jeffrey Cooper, 71, of Portsmouth previously told USA TODAY at a Christie town hall. Cooper added that he “doesn’t like ideologues on both sides. I like someone who is competent and who can govern.”
Christie’s presence in the 2024 GOP race could prove fruitful for other candidates as well. His eagerness to try to topple Trump by a few pegs could spur his opponents afraid to go after the former president, but Christie dismissed the idea.
“I’m not a paid assassin,” Christie told Politico.
A Trump-Biden rematch? : Pass, says this group looking for a third-party option in 2024
GOP strategist on Christie: ‘It makes sense to hit Donald Trump hard’
Christie faces an uphill battle if he announces a 2024 campaign. He polls just 1% among likely GOP primary voters according to an April poll by the University of New Hampshire.
It’s unclear how well Christie’s message might resonate with GOP voters, but longtime New Hampshire GOP strategist Mike Dennehy said the 2024 race is an entirely open field — any strategy could be valid as long as it is executed correctly.
It’s a high-risk strategy for Christie that might have little reward, but in a race that’s becoming increasingly crowded with other candidates sucking the oxygen in, he may have to take the risks he can. get.
“I think it’s a strategy and it’s not being used by any other candidate right now,” Dennehy said. “I don’t think that’s a bad strategy because the fact is that Trump is the frontrunner.”
“If you’re going to kick out of the box immediately, it makes sense to hit Donald Trump hard,” Dennehy added.
Notice: Many Republicans don’t want Trump to be the 2024 GOP nominee. But Democrats do.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chris Christie in 2024 wants to defeat Trump in New Hampshire