Chris Christie

Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party, he was the United States Attorney for New Jersey from 2002 to 2008 and a Morris County commissioner from 1995 to 1997. He was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 and 2024.

Born in Newark but raised in Livingston, Christie graduated from the University of Delaware in 1984 and later earned a J.D. at Seton Hall University School of Law. He began his political career as a volunteer for Republican Thomas Kean's 1981 gubernatorial campaign. In 1994, Christie was elected as a county freeholder (legislator) for Morris County, New Jersey. His campaign that year was met with criticism as he had made several false statements about his opponent's legal issues. This criticism led to Christie losing his 1996 reelection campaign in the Republican primary. He later worked for the 2000 presidential campaign of George W. Bush; after Bush became president, he appointed Christie U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, a position he held from January 2002 to December 2008. During his tenure, he oversaw the convictions of 130 public officials from both local and state levels.

Christie won the 2009 Republican primary for Governor of New Jersey and defeated Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine in the general election. In his first term, he was credited with cutting spending, capping property tax growth and engaging in recovery efforts after Hurricane Sandy. He was re-elected by a wide margin in 2013, defeating state senate majority leader Barbara Buono. Christie's second term saw multiple controversies, namely the Fort Lee lane closure and his various absences from the state. He chaired the Republican Governors Association during the 2014 campaign. His term as governor expired in 2018 and he registered as a lobbyist in 2020.

On June 30, 2015, Christie announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election, but he suspended his candidacy six months later following a poor showing in the New Hampshire primary. Later, he endorsed eventual winner Donald Trump and was named head of Trump's transition planning team. He remained a close ally of Trump during his presidency but later emerged as a harsh critic following Trump's refusal to accept his loss in the 2020 United States presidential election and the subsequent January 6 Capitol attack. On June 6, 2023, Christie announced his second presidential campaign for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election. His campaign was notable in its sharp criticism of Trump compared to his fellow Republican candidates. He ultimately dropped out of the Republican primary before voting started. In September 2024, it was announced that Christie would teach a course on political campaigns at Yale University's Jackson School of Global Affairs.

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