June 25, 2015
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will announce on Tuesday that he is running for the presidency, according to a source familiar with his plans.
Christie will join more than a dozen other Republicans who have declared their intention to seek the party's nomination for the November 2016 presidential election.
Christie, known for his brashness, has spent time in the past few months in the early voting states of New Hampshire and Iowa laying out policy proposals, including on the economy and national security.
Public radio station WNYC first reported Christie's planned announcement.
The 52-year-old Christie has been a controversial figure in New Jersey politics, seen as honest and plain spoken by supporters and a bully by detractors.
The 'Bridgegate' controversy of 2014 fueled views that Christie relied on strong-arm politics to get his way. In May a former Christie ally pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the scandal, while two others were indicted.
But he has won praise for his ability to connect with voters in person, seen in town halls across New Jersey and New Hampshire.
Nevertheless, Christie has struggled to gain traction. A recent poll by Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind found his approval rating in New Jersey at just 30 percent.
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal on Wednesday was the 13th Republican to announce his bid for the presidency.
