Reporters from around the country gather Thursday at the Secretary of State’s Office in Concord to cover former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie filing to run in the first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire. Paula Tracy photo

By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org

CONCORD – Former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey on Thursday was among a line of presidential hopefuls who have come to the Secretary of State’s Office to file paperwork to run in the first-in-the-nation presidential primary.

The process continues with South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, a fellow Republican, who heads in on Friday and former President Donald Trump is expected to appear in person Monday at 1 p.m. before the filing period closes Oct. 27.

Also making it to the corner office on the second floor of the State House Thursday where national, regional and local media have been gathering lately, was Rod Webber of Brighton, Mass., who filed as a Republican and said his name should appear on the ballot as “Free Palestine Webber.”

But Secretary of State Dave Scanlan said Webber did not yet provide the $1,000 payment to get his name placed on the ballot. He can still appear if he gets 10 signatures from voters in all 10 counties if he does not have the money.

The process of filing includes a special opportunity set up by the Secretary of State for local media to get in a few first questions.

They are given a seat at the crowded table in Scanlan’s office with their name plate, with the candidate, often surrounded by national and regional media who are also allowed to ask questions after the New Hampshire press gets a chance first.

The tradition also has the candidates head to the State House Visitors Center where they can sign in and perhaps add a quick comment.

In the past week, the book has been signed by Vivek Ramaswamy who wrote, “speak freely.” Former Ambassador, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley wrote “God Bless!” Former Vice President Mike Pence wrote “God Bless America!” and Democrat Marianne Williamson wrote “with love.” Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida wrote “Live Free or Die!” and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum signed “New Hampshire Picks Presidents.”

Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas wrote “All of America depends upon New Hampshire’s Wisdom.”
Christie, who ran unsuccessfully for the same spot eight years ago, wrote, “New Hampshire does not whisper.”

Christie told reporters he will be focusing on this state and on South Carolina for the next 100 days as those primaries approach and will be hosting town meeting style forums.
While he said he does not know the impact of endorsements, one from Gov. Chris Sununu would be greatly welcomed and he noted that when he learned that Sununu was not running he called to say he would hope to earn his endorsement.

Christie said the issues emerging from his town halls include concerns about immigration and the border, the opioid crisis, foreign policy issues around the world, the nation’s debt and voter’s concerns for their ability to support their families.

What is needed for this nation is a leader “of character and the truth.”

“I’m the only one going after Donald Trump,” and while he is the Republican frontrunner, Christie said Trump, who faces more than 90 criminal indictments, cannot win against President Joe Biden, a Democrat.
“A lot of people don’t want to hear the truth,” Christie said.

Trump, he said, is “soul-less” and does not care about voters but only about himself. The other candidates are “Trump acolytes playing the game” noting many put their hands up in a debate and said they would support him if he becomes a convicted felon.

New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley released a comment on the filing saying: “Chris Christie is setting himself up for yet another failed presidential run as Granite Staters haven’t forgotten the years he spent championing the MAGA agenda in New Jersey and during Trump’s administration. At every opportunity, Christie has made it clear that he’ll say anything to win votes, but his extreme record of neglecting the opioid crisis to cash out with Big Pharma, supporting a federal abortion ban, and calling to extend Trump’s tax handouts to the ultra-rich at the expense of New Hampshire working families speaks for itself.”

Christie gave credit to Biden for going to Israel this week and said he has taken some of the right steps that the nation needs to take in support of that country following the terrorist attack by Hamas two weeks ago.

Christie said it would be important to get an aid package approved for Israel and voiced support for continued aid to Ukraine. But he said Biden is not the incredibly forceful leader the nation now needs “because he is not physically and mentally capable of it.”

He said the nation also needs to be focused on arming Taiwan and securing the southern border. He said the nation needs to add the National Guard at the border, add 10,000 more customs and border officers, double the number of detention beds, make sure we have three times more immigration judges to get the asylum hearing backlog processed and have a broader based immigration plan.

Christie said the nation has 6 million open jobs which Americans can’t or don’t want to do.
There needs to be ways to incentivize legal ways to come here and legal ways to come that add to our economy and culture.

Christie said New Hampshire voters “believe they play an important part of the process…and they take it seriously” adding he is hoping for the independent vote in New Hampshire to launch his national efforts.