Christie Tour Will Stop in Iowa
Politico reports:
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, one of the GOP's most-sought after stars following his 2009 victory, is hitting the road to unveil a string of endorsements in the coming weeks, Politico has learned.
In what constitutes his first major political trip, the blue-state governor who has the GOP enthralled by his face-off with the public-sector unions — and his passing of a budget with surprising ease — will be traveling to some of the nation’s hottest political battlegrounds in the coming weeks, including a stop in presidential proving ground Iowa.
There, he’ll boost gubernatorial candidate Terry Branstad — a trip that is sure to amplify the Christie-for-president buzz, although he's emphatically insisted that he is not making a White House run.
The trip marks a new phase in the nine-month tenure of the former federal prosecutor who won a solid victory over incumbent Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine in November 2009, a victory that presaged a significant change in GOP fortunes.
Mike DuHaime, a top Christie strategist, said Christie’s endorsements for Republicans in high-profile races feature a common thread.
"One, he's proven you can win in a blue state," he said. "Two, you can govern effectively in a blue state, even with a Democratic legislature."
The center-right rock star's tour comes at a moment when the Republican Party has been tacking sharply to the right in many national races, and reflects the variety of voices the party is currently looking to as it defines itself heading into 2012. For Christie, sources close to him said, it's a chance to get his message out and promote what he has described as the future road for the party.
According to aides, he will make a Midwestern swing, visiting Michigan to assist gubernatorial hopeful Rick Snyder, Illinois for Republican governor candidate Bill Brady, and Wisconsin on behalf of the eventual GOP gubernatorial nominee after the state's Sept. 14 primary.
Before this week, Christie had made few endorsements, backing only Rep. Mike Castle in his bid for U.S. Senate in Delaware—where the governor went to college—and repeatedly helping former Philadelphia Eagles star Jon Runyan in his congressional bid in South Jersey.
The rollout of Christie's full slate of endorsements began Monday night, at a New York City fundraiser for California gubernatorial hopeful Meg Whitman, the self-funding former eBay CEO who has made taking on the unions a lynchpin of her campaign against Democrat Jerry Brown. Christie will also attend a Whitman campaign event in Los Angeles on Sept. 22.
On Sept. 20, Christie will do one of his few non-gubernatorial events, for congressional candidate Pat Meehan, who's running for an open suburban Philadelphia-based House seat.
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