Chris Christie runs for President, files paperwork.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has thrown his hat into an already-crowded ring of contenders by filing papers to run for president in 2024.

Christie, who served two terms as the governor of New Jersey, has been out of political office since the end of his second term in 2018.

“In American politics, if you want to beat somebody, you’ve got to go get them, and you got to make the case,” Christie said in April. “So what I’m saying tonight, I think, is the beginning of the case against Donald Trump. And that’s the first task for Republican primary voters—decide who we’re going to nominate.”

Like other announced candidates, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and Pence, Christie will need to wrest away a broad cross-section of voters from Trump—currently the clear frontrunner—if he hopes to secure the nomination.

Christie, who won a tough battle in blue-leaning New Jersey, suggests he’s the only one of Trump’s announced rivals who can achieve this goal.

“We [Republicans] are going to get what we deserve” if Trump is nominated, Christie blasted Trump as being defined by “policy and character failure”.

It’s unclear what issues Christie plans to run on as he prepares for a battle in a vastly different political environment than he encountered eight years ago.

Christie’s Past Positions

• Christie has won the backing of wealthy conservative mega-donors like the Koch brothers, and has pushed for limiting taxes and cutting regulations.
• Christie has argued in favor of extensive post-9/11 surveillance tools, clashing with libertarian Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) over the issue during 2016 primary debates.
• During his time as governor, Christie also pushed for educational reforms, endorsing programs like school-choice vouchers.

Christie has been far more critical of Trump, an erstwhile ally, than Pence, calling Trump a “coward” and a “puppet of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin.” Since then, Republican voters have become increasingly skeptical of government surveillance programs in light of revelations that the FBI has persistently been caught in FISA abuses and spied on American citizens. As Republicans ramp up an investigation into a flurry of violations by federal law enforcement, Christie’s position on government surveillance could be even more unpopular with Republican voters than it was during his last presidential bid.