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Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Wednesday turned down an offer to run for president on a “No Labels” ticket.
The No Labels group has struggled to put forward a ticket challenging both former President Trump and President Biden in the 2024 election. The group contacted Christie about a potential run after he appeared to leave the door open to a third-party run in a public interview.
“I appreciate the encouragement I’ve gotten to pursue a third party candidacy. I believe we need a country that once again feels like everyone has a stake in what we’re doing and leadership that strives to bring people together, instead of using anger to divide us,” Christie said in a statement.
“While I believe this is a conversation that needs to be had with the American people, I also believe that if there is not a pathway to win and if my candidacy in any way, shape or form would help Donald Trump become president again, then it is not the way forward,” he added.
NO LABELS TAKES ANOTHER STEP TOWARDS LAUNCHING A THIRD-PARTY PRESIDENTIAL TICKET
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Wednesday turned down an offer to run for president on a “No Labels” ticket. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
As Christie looked into the possibility of joining a No Labels third-party ticket in recent weeks, sources confirmed to Fox News he commissioned polling before deciding against the move.
Christie had previously shut down the idea of a No Labels run as a “fool’s errand” in an interview last year, soon after he launched his second White House bid.
The former two-term governor, who first ran for president in the 2016 cycle, ended his 2024 GOP nomination campaign in mid-January, ahead of the New Hampshire primary.
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The one-time Trump supporter, ally and adviser broke with him over the then-president’s attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Biden. Christie became an extremely vocal GOP critic of the former president and made his opposition to Trump a centerpiece of his 2024 White House run.
Christie ended his 2024 GOP nomination campaign in mid-January. The one-time Trump supporter, ally and adviser broke with Trump over the then-president’s attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Biden. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
Earlier this month, No Labels took further steps toward forming a bipartisan presidential ticket in November’s general election, as it announced the formation of a committee to vet candidates for a potential ticket.
The announcement of the committee came a week after roughly 800 No Labels delegates who took part in a virtual meeting voted to give a thumbs-up to fielding a presidential ticket.
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No Labels has sought to put up a third-party presidential ticket to challenge both President Biden and former President Trump. (Megan Varner/Getty Images)
No Labels has nevertheless approached several potential candidates in recent months, none of whom have moved forward with a campaign.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.
