Chris Christie has ‘no interest’ in Bob Menendez’s seat in the Senate

Former Gov. Chris Christie ruled out a Senate run despite the indictment against Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ).

Christie is in the middle of a presidential campaign, vying for the Republican nomination against twelve other candidates. Meanwhile, in his home state, Menendez is facing calls to resign after being federally indicted with bribery charges. Still, the senator has refused to resign and is likely to continue his run for reelection in 2024.

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When Christie was asked if he would run against Menendez should he not win the GOP nomination on MSNBC’s Meet the Press, he offered an emphatic “no.”

“I have no interest of being in the United States Senate,” Christie said.

“You rule it out completely?” host Kristen Welker asked.

“Yes, I have throughout my entire career,” Christie said. “I had the chance to appoint myself to the Senate in 2013 when Frank Lautenberg passed away and I was governor. If I didn’t appoint myself to the United States Senate, the easiest way to get there, I sure as heck am not going to run for it.”

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Instead, Christie has set his sights on New Hampshire, a state with an early primary where Donald Trump does not have the majority in the polls. The former governor is focused on garnering more support there. He did say he was “glad” that the Department of Justice “acted on some very horrific facts” in charging Menendez.

Christie and Trump are facing off against former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, former Texas Rep. Will Hurd, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, political commentator Larry Elder, and businessmen Vivek Ramaswamy and Perry Johnson in the race to win the GOP presidential nomination.