Education Funding

New Jersey’s Christie Not Running for President in 2012

By Sean Cavanagh — October 04, 2011 1 min read
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New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie, who has praised President Obama’s work on education, announced today that he won’t be running for president in 2012, despite clamoring from some in his party.

“Now is not my time,” Christie said at a news conference in Trenton, adding: “New Jersey, whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with me.”

Christie, now in his first term of office in the Garden State, had described President Barack Obama as an “ally” on school issues, though there are some clear differences. While some of the Obama administration’s policies have disappointed teachers’ unions, Christie has feuded continually with his state’s leading teachers’ union, the New Jersey Education Association. (See my previous item on the governor for background.)

The New Jersey governor’s view of Obama’s work on education contrasts sharply with those of Texas Gov. Rick Perry, one of the front-runners in the GOP presidential field, who has lambasted the president’s policies on the Race to the Top competition, and common standards, despite the popularity of those programs among some Republicans.

Christie’s decision seems likely to tilt the rhetoric coming out of the Republican primaries on school issues toward Perry’s views.

Here’s a clip from the governor’s press conference:

A version of this news article first appeared in the State EdWatch blog.