Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) is open to the idea of running as a candidate on a No Labels ticket in the 2024 presidential election.
Following the end of his White House bid in January, the former GOP presidential contender hinted at the prospect of a third-party candidacy in an interview released Thursday on the “The Axe Files” podcast with ex-Obama adviser David Axelrod.
Acknowledging the speculation about his potential candidacy under No Labels, Axelrod asked, “is that something that you are considering?”
In response, Christie expressed his willingness to take action to prevent what he believes would be a challenging second term under Trump's leadership.
Christie, known for openly criticizing former President Trump during his campaign, mentioned that there are barriers he would need to overcome before contemplating a third-party bid.
“There’s a lot of factors to consider between running for office and doing nothing,” Christie stated. “But at this point, I’m not excluding anything. I would simply say that there are several obstacles to overcome before I would seriously think about running as a third-party candidate.”
Concerns have been raised by Democrats about the possibility of a third-party candidate impacting the general election, potentially providing Trump with an advantage in a likely face-off against President Biden in November.
The former governor labeled No Labels as “a fool’s errand” while still competing in the Republican race in July. “Well, my previous statements were about the need for anyone, not just me, but anyone accepting the candidacy, to see a path to securing 270 electoral votes,” Christie
stated in early February .Expressing the opinion that now could be a pivotal time for a third-party contender to make a difference, Christie highlighted the uncertainty of the impact such a move would have.
Some moderate lawmakers, like retiring Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and current Senate GOP candidate Larry Hogan, have declined to be part of the No Labels ticket. Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R) removed himself from consideration this week. A week ago, No Labels
unveiled a committee consisting of 12 individuals tasked with determining which candidates should be featured on the organization’s “unity ticket.” The Hill has contacted No Labels for a statement.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) is considering the possibility of running as a candidate on a No Labels ticket in the 2024 presidential election, leaving the door open to a third-party run during an interview released Thursday with former Obama adviser David…
