Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s presidential ambitions suffered a double blow today, as he was excluded from the upcoming GOP debate in Iowa and his home state lost a staggering 80% of its delegates to the national convention due to a party rule blunder.
Debated Out: Christie, along with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, failed to meet CNN’s qualification criteria for the Iowa debate, which requires at least 10% in three national polls or Iowa GOP caucus polls.
This means the stage will be set for a one-on-one showdown between Ron DeSantis and Nimarata Nikki Haley next week since disgraced former President Donald Trump has refused to participate in the candidate forums.
Trump will skip the fifth straight debate, having previously pointed to his significant lead in the polls as reasoning for not needing to participate. He will instead participate in a Fox News town hall in Des Moines taking place at the same time, with Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum co-moderating.
“I’m not all that shocked,” said Christie, acknowledging his lack of focus on Iowa. “I haven’t spent one day or one dollar there.”
He did, however, qualify for both upcoming New Hampshire debates, where he hopes to regain momentum.
Haley and DeSantis have been battling for months to be the main alternative to Trump for the Republican nomination and now they will have the chance to face off against each other one-on-one at CNN’s first GOP primary debate in Iowa at 9 p.m. EST on Jan. 10, just days before the caucuses.
Delegation Devastation: Meanwhile, back in New Jersey, a major political misstep by state GOP chairman Bob Hugin resulted in the state losing 40 delegates to the national convention.
Hugin failed to comply with the national party’s deadline of May 31st for selecting delegates, leading to a drastic reduction in which the New Jersey GOP lost 80% of its delegates to the national convention due to the state party’s missed deadline.
This leaves New Jersey with a measly 9 delegates, the same as territories like Guam and American Samoa.
The loss of district delegates is a significant blow to the New Jersey GOP, as it deprives party members of a coveted opportunity to participate in the national convention festivities. Many insiders are blaming Hugin’s blunder for this embarrassing outcome.
Christie’s Challenge: This double-whammy comes at a critical juncture in Christie’s campaign. Being excluded from the Iowa debate further diminishes his national profile, while the delegate loss in New Jersey raises questions about his ability to manage his home state’s political machinery.
Conservative cohost Alyssa Farah Griffin — who previously worked for Donald Trump’s communications team before resigning in 2020 — squabbled with Christie on The View over her suggestions that he drop out of the race and throw his support behind Nikki Haley.
Christie said in a new ad that he was “wrong” to support Trump back in 2016.
“I have an admission to make: Eight years ago, when I decided to endorse Donald Trump for president, I did it because he was winning. And I did it because I thought I could make him a better candidate and a better president. Well, I was wrong. I made a mistake,” Christie tells the camera in the minute-long clip. “And now, we’re confronted with the very same choice again.”
Christie recently said that Trump would “burn America to the ground” if he returned to the White House.
The New Hampshire Republican presidential primary will be held on January 23, 2024.
Christie will need to leverage his upcoming New Hampshire appearances effectively to regain momentum and prove he can still be a viable contender in the 2024 Republican race. However, the road ahead looks increasingly steep after today’s twin disasters.
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