Chris Christie has opted out of running for president alongside No Labels, leaving the centrist group without another prominent candidate for its suggested third-party ticket.

The ex-governor of New Jersey, who concluded his second Republican presidential bid before the commencement of this year’s primaries, mentioned receiving “encouragement” to consider a third-party candidacy but has decided against it, reported Politico.

Christie had been contemplating the possibility of a third-party presidential bid, with suggestions for him to run on a unity ticket proposed by No Labels.

Also Read: Is Donald Trump’s Media Company Worth More Than Elon Musk’s X?

“I believe we need a country that once again feels like everyone has a stake in what we’re doing and leadership that strives to bring people together, instead of using anger to divide us. While I believe this is a conversation that needs to be had with the American people, I also believe that if there is not a pathway to win and if my candidacy in any way, shape or form would help Donald Trump become president again, then it is not the way forward,” Christie said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday.

Christie, known for criticizing Trump, initially rejected the idea of a third-party candidacy while directly challenging the former president in the primary. However, he reconsidered the option after withdrawing from the Republican race.

Also See: Vitalik Buterin Calls Out Copy-And-Paste Meme Coins: ‘I Want To See Higher Quality Fun Projects’

Upon leaving the race in January, Christie stated, “I am going to make sure that in no way do I enable Donald Trump to ever be president of the United States again. And that’s more important than my own personal ambition.”

No Labels has faced a series of rejections. Senator Joe Manchin and Senator Kyrsten Sinema have both declined the idea of running for president on a third-party ticket. 

Additionally, former Republican Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland, considered another potential candidate, chose to pursue a Senate bid instead. 

Most recently, the group faced another setback as former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan declined its offer.

Check This Out: Jerome Powell Says Fed Doesn’t ‘Need To Be In A Hurry To Cut’ Interest Rates: Odds Of June Reduction Jump In Prediction Market

This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo: Shutterstock