Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has change into a typical sight all through New Hampshire. He is spent a while in South Carolina, too, since saying his run for president in 2024. However there’s one notable state he hasn’t fully skipped but: Iowa.
Historically, the Iowa caucuses lead the battle for the Republican presidential nomination, bringing vital curiosity to the state from the contenders. This 12 months, Iowa will start the delegate race on January 15. Consequently, each Republican presidential candidate has visited the Hawkeye State to this point this 12 months — besides Christie.
When requested (throughout a latest journey to New Hampshire) why he hadn’t gone to Iowa but, Christie instructed NBC Information: “I did not go as a result of I did not wish to. And if I needed to, I might go later.”
Christie’s technique of spending extra time in New Hampshire than Iowa will not be new. That is what he did throughout his first run for president, however to not the identical excessive diploma.
The previous governor was in Iowa for 32 days and made 71 visits between Jan. 1, 2015, and Feb. 1, 2016, based on NBC Information’ monitoring of his occasions. In the meantime, Christie spent 75 days in New Hampshire and stopped there 175 occasions throughout the identical time interval.
Since July 4 of this 12 months, Christie has spent six days in New Hampshire and held 11 occasions open to the press, based on an NBC Information follower.
It has solely paid off considerably. Christie completed tenth in Iowa, with 1.8% of the GOP caucus vote, however completed sixth in New Hampshire the next week, with 7.4% of the vote. Nonetheless, that wasn’t sufficient to remain within the 2016 race, as he dropped out the day after the New Hampshire main.
Two presidential elections later, Christie’s standing in Iowa stays far decrease than it was in New Hampshire, based on public exit polls. Christie’s common share within the final 10 Iowa polls within the FiveThirtyEight database is 3%. Within the final 10 New Hampshire main polls, Christie’s approval ranking has averaged 9%.
Traditionally, average Republican candidates are inclined to spend much less time in Iowa and extra in New Hampshire, the place independents have historically performed a serious position in open primaries. The variety of self-described moderates in 2016 NBC Information polls was twice as excessive in New Hampshire than in Iowa.
In 2015 and 2016, Jeb Bush and Christie had been examples of candidates who spent much less time in Iowa than extra conservative Republican candidates. Bush stopped in Iowa 50 occasions in 27 days. In the meantime, in New Hampshire, it was stopped 110 occasions over 55 days, based on NBC Information’ monitoring of its occasions.
Then again, Ben Carson, one of many candidates combating for extra conservative help in 2016, made 100 stops in Iowa over 44 days, in comparison with 37 stops in New Hampshire over 16 days. Sen. Ted Cruz made 138 stops in Iowa over 47 days, in comparison with 67 stops in New Hampshire over 32 days, based on NBC Information’ monitoring of occasions.
“Look, I’ve to resolve the place my time is finest spent,” Christie instructed NBC Information. “Everybody has restricted time, and I made a decision I needed to spend my time in New Hampshire and South Carolina. I believe these are the locations that provide the finest alternative to do nicely.”
There’s one factor that might actually entice Christie to go to Iowa this election cycle: former President Donald Trump.
Christie mentioned that if Trump didn’t take part in any of the debates, he would “comply with Trump throughout the nation.”
When a reporter requested him if he would comply with Trump to Iowa, Christie mentioned: “That is fascinating. That might be. It is a good query. If I knew I may comply with him there, yeah, perhaps I might.”
Though Christie didn’t go to the Hawkeye State, he additionally mentioned that “anybody” would take into account Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds as his working mate.
“(I’ve) identified her for a very long time. “I like Kim quite a bit,” Christie mentioned throughout a city corridor hosted by SiriusXM’s Steve Scully at New England School. “She has hands-on expertise, and she or he’s somebody who I believe has the capabilities, if she needs to be president. To be president.”