It’s official — again.
In a press conference in Trenton on Tuesday afternoon, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie confirmed that he would not seek the Republican nomination for president in 2012.
“In the end, what I’ve always felt is the right decision, is the right decision today,” Christie said. “Now is not my time. I have a commitment to New Jersey that I simply will not abandon. That’s the promise I made to the people of this state when I took office 20 months ago: to fix a broken New Jersey.”
According to Christie, he made his final decision about running last night.
The announcement came after weeks of frenzied speculation and contradictory reports. High-profile Republicans, including Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and Weekly Standard editor William Kristol, had been encouraging Christie to reconsider his previous refusals to run.
Speculation reached a fever pitch last week after Christie gave a well-received speech at the Reagan Library and ducked questions about his rumored presidential ambitions. Some conservatives, however, wondered if Christie was too moderate to lead the GOP.
“I just heard way too much talk of ‘bipartisanship’ and ‘compromise’ in Governor Christie’s speech last night to make me comfortable,” radio show Rush Limbaugh said after the speech. “Obamacare, spending, debt, taxes; tell me, where is the compromise with the Democrats on any of those?”
Christie’s decision leaves Texas Governor Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney as the two frontrunners for the Republican nomination. After a strong start following his announcement in August, polls indicate that support for Perry has declined in recent weeks. An ABC News/Washington Post poll showed Romney leading the Republican field, followed by Perry and former pizza magnate Herman Cain.
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Editor’s note: This story was updated after publication to correct an error.