Some media outlets are reporting that former Gov. Chris Christie will drop his bid for the Republican presidential nomination at a town hall tonight in New Hampshire.
The announcement, scheduled for 5 PM, will come before Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis face off in a debate in Iowa that Christie did not qualify for.
Yesterday, The Granite State Poll sponsored by the University of New Hampshire and CNN showed that Christie, the most vocal critic of frontrunner Donald Trump, could be a spoiler in the January 23 New Hampshire primary. Trump leads Haley by just seven points, 39%-32%, with Christie in third place with 12%.
“Haley would likely move even closer to Trump if former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie were to withdraw, as two-thirds of Christie’s supporters select Haley as their second choice,” the pollster said.
This would be Christie’s second unsuccessful White House bid. He ran in 2016 but withdrew after a dismal sixth-place finish in New Hampshire with 7.4% of the vote.
Christie had bet the farm on New Hampshire this year. He has not competed in Iowa, and has not set up campaign operations in other states.
He has said he will not back Trump in the general election.