Christie to co-chair fundraising program for Republican governors

Chris Christie will co-chair a fundraising program to help boost GOP candidates in gubernatorial races next year, a high-profile role for the former New Jersey governor as he eyes a return to national politics.

A source familiar with the matter confirmed to The Hill that Christie and Michelle Malek Olson, the finance chairwoman for Glenn Youngkin’s Virginia gubernatorial campaign, will co-chair the Republican Governors Association’s (RGA) Victory 2022 Board. The group is charged with boosting the RGA’s donor network ahead of the midterms.

The posting is a prominent job for the GOP. There are 38 gubernatorial races taking place in 2021 and 2022, meaning that the RGA will need to boost its coffers to play in several of them.

The news also comes as Christie mulls a comeback to national politics. The former governor ran for president in 2016 and ultimately endorsed then-candidate Donald Trump after dropping out of the race.

Christie has said he is weighing a 2024 bid for president and that he would not bow out if Trump decides to wage a campaign as well. Regardless of whether Trump runs, the primary is expected to be hotly contested, meaning that connections with top GOP donors will be at a premium as candidates compete to grow the largest war chest.

Christie is also set to author a book, out in November, titled, “Republican Rescue: Saving the Party from Truth Deniers, Conspiracy Theorists, and the Dangerous Policies of Joe Biden.” He has kept his name in Republicans’ minds by being a commentator on ABC News and speaking at a Texas donor conference put together by famed strategist Karl Rove. 

The news of Christie’s hiring to the fundraising board was first reported by Politico.