Chris Christie hosted Mitt Romney for dinner at the New Jersey governor’s mansion on Monday night, originally reported by Newark’s Star-Ledger Wednesday.
According to sources, nearly two dozen people attended the dinner, including many of Christie’s closest political advisors. However, a potential Christie endorsement of Romney’s widely speculated 2012 presidential campaign was reportedly not one of the topics discussed.
Romney endorsed Christie in 2009 during Christie’s contentious GOP primary against tea party favorite Steve Lonegan. Other widely-anticipated 2012 presidential candidates including Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, and Newt Gingrich did not make endorsements during the race.
As the Boston Globe recently noted, in comparison to other GOP presidential hopefuls, Romney has largely steered clear of tea party organizations and activists in key primary states, possibly in order to secure early support of the Republican establishment.
Romney’s dinner with Christie only helps fuel the idea that he is laying the groundwork for another presidential campaign. With a recent Public Policy Polling poll showing Romney in a dead heat with Huckabee and Palin in New Jersey, a Christie endorsement could be a valuable future pick-up, assuming the New Jersey governor chooses not to run himself.