The RGA made the announcement yesterday morning, while also announcing that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker will serve on the RGA’s executive committee.
RGA chairman Bob McDonnell said of the recent moves, “No governors better exemplify the type of leadership our country needs right now than Governors Chris Christie and Scott Walker.”
Despite Christie’s repeated assertions that he would not be seeking a presidential bid, rumors continued to circulate that he was potentially considering one.
For example, former George W. Bush advisor and Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson reported that Christie had been engaging in meetings in Chicago and cited that as proof that Christie was “actively considering” a presidential bid.
The Washington Post also reported, “Prior to that, another news outlet reported that Christie had been conducting focus groups, but it soon backed off that report.”
The news outlet referenced by the Post was Bloomberg. Columnist Jonathon Alter tweeted in August that Governor Christie had been “conducting focus groups in preparation for a possible run for president in 2012.”
Immediately following that post, however, Christie spokeswoman Maria Cornella denied the report, indicating it was “absolutely not true.” Cornella’s response prompted Alter to retract his first tweet with another tweet that said a source, in which Alter trusts, reported that there were no focus groups.
Most analysts acknowledge that the RGA announcement should effectively lay to rest any hope that Christie would be seeking a presidential bid. According to the Washington Post, a Christie presidential bid would probably be less significant than originally expected because of the recent addition of Rick Perry into the presidential race.
“The rise of Rick Perry also means that there is less space for Christie to occupy in the field since the Texas governor is laying claim to the straight-talking, populist mantle that the New Jersey chief executive has patented over the past two years,” reports the Post.
Meanwhile, Christie appears excited at the new opportunity before him. “This new role is a great opportunity to ensure that the good ideas already reforming the way state government works takes hold across the country.”
Christie had already been serving on the RGA executive committee, but now serves as the No. 2 in the RGA’s leadership.
Photo of Chris Christie: AP Images
