New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie told the people of New Jersey Tuesday: “You’re stuck with me.”
The straight-shooting governor that many Republicans hoped would make a bid for the White House officially announced Tuesday afternoon that he will not run for President in the 2012 election.
“Now is not my time. I have a commitment to New Jersey that I simply will not abandon,” Christie said in his 1 p.m. speech from the New Jersey Statehouse. “It just didn’t feel right to me to leave before the job was done.”
Christie's decision was revealed by anonymous sources close to the governor hours before the press conference.
In his address and while answering questions, the governor repeatedly stated that he seriously reflected on the decision after several “very serious people” and “all kinds of regular folks” begged him to consider the role of Presidential candidate.
The governor stoked the speculation with a high-profile speech last week at the Ronald Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley, Calif., where he reiterated that he wasn't running for president
But after weeks of mulling it over, the answer was still no, Christie said.
“In the end, the deciding factor was that it did not feel right, to me, in my gut, to leave now when the job is not finished,” he said. “I asked for this job. I fought hard to get this job.”
Christie dispelled any rumors that his family did not want him to run, swaying his decision.
“Mary Pat and the kids were completely behind me running,” Christie said.
By declining to run, Christie leaves many in the Republican Party looking to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, and Texas Congressman Ron Paul.
When asked if he would consider running for president in the future, Christie told a reporter:
"I have an interest in being employed in the future...whether it be president or working for NBC."
Chris Christie Press Conference Part 1
Chris Christie Press Conference Part 2
Chris Christie Press Conference Part 3
Chris Christie Press Conference Part 4
Chris Christie Press Conference Part 5
Chris Christie Press Conference Part 6
