Having already left his mark on the 2012 presidential race, governor can now focus solely on N.J. Watch video
TRENTON — Chris Christie reshaped the American political landscape with one word Tuesday.
He said "no" he would not run for president ending weeks of furious speculation — and in some quarters fear — that the New Jersey governor would enter the Republican primary field with all the impact of a bull in a china shop.
"New Jersey, whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with me," Christie said Tuesday in a packed Statehouse news conference, adding: "Now is not my time."
The ripples from his decision started immediately: It meant the Republican governor, after weeks in the national glare, will now focus on New Jersey issues, where education reform tops his list. It also meant that the holiday is over for state Democrats who have not had to deal with him while he was on the campaign trail, pondering his future.
"I will fix a broken New Jersey," the governor said. "I’m proud of the work we’ve done, but I know I’m not nearly done."
On the national political front, political experts and politicians said that Christie’s exit left the moderate center of the Republican party wide open for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney while other candidates were left to split the right wing vote.
Almost immediately after the governor’s announcement, one of his biggest boosters, Home Depot co-founder Kenneth Langone, jumped into the camp of Romney, likely taking other donors and supporters who had been holding out for Christie to run.
"Romney is the beneficiary of any of the potential Christie donors," said Michael Dennehy, a veteran GOP strategist in New Hampshire. "Their campaign is smart to make the case that Romney will fill the Christie void."
Whatever their differences in style and personality, Christie and Romney are both Northeastern, center-right governors close to the business community, and strategists said there was no room for both of them in a primary race.
"Romney absolutely needed Christie out of this race to have any chance," said Keith Appell, a longtime Republican strategist
A Quinnipiac poll released Tuesday had Christie and Romney tied for the lead at 17 percent each among Republican voters. With Christie out of the race, the poll gave Romney the edge. He surged to the top with 22 percent, followed by businessman Herman Cain at 17 percent and Texas Gov. Rick Perry at 14 percent.
Christie acknowledged Tuesday that for weeks he has been reconsidering his decision not to run, saying the pleas of influential donors knocking on his door forced him to give the decision a second thought.
But even promises of millions of dollars in donations and the chance to unseat an incumbent president weren’t enough.
"For me, the answer was never anything but no," Christie said.
A potential Christie candidacy prompted a national media frenzy that included everything from pundits saying he’s not conservative enough to run for president to the hosts of "The View" wondering if he should run because he is overweight.
Christie swatted at all of this Tuesday, saying his decision had nothing to do with the field of GOP candidates.
"I’m a principled conservative," he said. "If someone calls compromising not conservative, they’re dead wrong."
He said those who suggested he was too fat to run "the most ignorant people."
"They further stigmatize people in a way that is really irrelevant to peoples ability to do a particular job," Christie said.
Christie said he had the blessing of his wife, Mary Pat, and their children. "In the end this decision is my decision," he said. "I will not abandon my commitment to New Jersey."
Of his agenda, Christie said: "Nothing has changed. Education reform will be a topic priority for the next legislative session."
Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Momouth), said he expects Christie to plunge into his Jersey agenda as all 120 seats of the state Legislature are up for grabs.
"He continues to do a really strong job as governor of New Jersey, lord knows we’ve got extraordinary challenge," said Kyrillos.
Christie is pushing hard for education changes and stricter financial disclosure requirements for lawmakers. He is also working on an agenda that includes remaking Atlantic City and realligning the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. And, another tough budget season is just a few months away.
After ruling out a run for the top spot, Christie said he can’t see himself as vice president, but did not rule out that possibility.
"I don’t think there’s anyone in America who thinks my personality is suited to be No. 2," he said.
Senate President Stephen Sweeney, who has criticized Christie’s out-of-state travels, said it was time to get back to Jersey business.
"Thankfully, we can now move ahead and focus on the real issues that are (affecting) the people of this state," said Sweeney, who has suggested the governor should spend more time developing a plan to bring more jobs to Jersey.
Christie reiterated that he is withholding his endorsement in the GOP presidential sweepstakes, and with it likely the support of most of the state’s county-level operation. He has time because New Jersey’s primary was just moved to June.
A handful of high-dollar New Jersey Republicans who have picked a favorite, like Jets owner Woody Johnson and Lewis Eisenberg, former chairman of the Port Authority, have weighed in on the side of Romney.
Romney had made friendly entreaties to Christie earlier this year, visiting Christie at Drumthwacket and chipping in the maximum $25,000 from his PAC to New Jersey Republicans earlier this year.
Tuesday was a different story.
A report in the Wall Street Journal quoted sources close to HP chief executive Meg Whitman, a Romney ally, saying Christie called her up and asked if she could organize a fundraiser for New Jersey Republicans while he was in California last week.
Whitman agreed, the sources said, because Christie pledged not to run for president. A source close to Whitman, who was not authorized to speak publicly, told The Star-Ledger that the report was accurate.
"It was a definitive ‘I will not run,’" said the source, who requested anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly about it. "And this was well before the speech."
Christie’s office and the state Republican Party declined comment.
John Weaver, a Republican strategist who is advising candidate Jon Huntsman, said Christie’s supporters didn’t get what they wanted for president, but they’ll find someone else.
"There was a pack of friendly dogs chasing a car," he said. "This car didn’t stop for them. They may go chase another one."
Christie spoke at length Tuesday about the role his home state played in his decision, remarking that he fought hard to win the governor’s office and he wasn’t about to walk away.
"He’s wanted to be governor of New Jersey since his early teens," former Gov. Tom Kean said. "It’s the only job he ever wanted."
By Ginger Gibson and Salvador Rizzo/Statehouse Bureau Staff