Chris Christie Biography Quotes 33 Report mistakes

Early Life and Education
Christopher James Christie was born on September 6, 1962, in Newark, New Jersey, and grew up in nearby Livingston. His parents, Wilbur "Bill" Christie and Sondra "Sandy" (Grasso) Christie, raised him and his sister in suburban New Jersey as the state recovered from the upheavals that reshaped cities like Newark. Christie attended public schools in Livingston before enrolling at the University of Delaware, where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1984. He went on to Seton Hall University School of Law, receiving his J.D. in 1987, and was admitted to the New Jersey bar shortly thereafter.

Early Political Involvement and Legal Career
Christie began his career in private practice, joining the Cranford firm Dughi, Hewit & Palatucci, where attorney Bill Palatucci became an enduring political ally and counselor. Christie built a litigation practice while cultivating connections inside the New Jersey Republican Party. In the mid-1990s he entered elected office at the county level, serving on the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders from 1995 to 1998. That early tenure, though brief and occasionally contentious, gave him first-hand experience with budgets, public works, and the mechanics of local government. He later returned to private practice and, through party activism and fundraising, positioned himself for higher-profile public service.

U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey
In 2002, President George W. Bush appointed Christie as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, a role he held until the end of 2008. As the state's top federal prosecutor, Christie made public corruption a central focus. His office secured guilty pleas and convictions of officials from both major parties, fostering a reputation for aggressive enforcement in a state long synonymous with political patronage. Among the most widely reported cases was the prosecution of real estate developer Charles Kushner, which reverberated through New Jersey's political and business communities and foreshadowed Christie's later intersections with national figures. Christie's tenure also drew scrutiny over the use of deferred prosecution agreements, yet he left office with broad name recognition and a profile as a blunt, law-and-order prosecutor. He was succeeded by Paul Fishman in 2009.

Governor of New Jersey
Christie ran for governor in 2009, defeating incumbent Democrat Jon Corzine in a three-way race that also featured independent Chris Daggett. He took office in January 2010, with Kim Guadagno serving as New Jersey's first lieutenant governor. Early in his administration, Christie confronted budget shortfalls and rising pension and health-care obligations. Working with Democratic State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, he enacted pension and benefits reforms that pleased fiscal conservatives while straining relationships with public-sector unions, particularly the New Jersey Education Association. He regularly used the line-item veto and sought to restrain taxes and spending, projecting an image of fiscal toughness.

Hurricane Sandy and Bipartisan Moments
Christie's leadership after Hurricane Sandy in October 2012 became a defining chapter of his governorship. Touring devastated shore towns, he pressed for rapid federal assistance and coordinated closely with local officials. His public partnership with President Barack Obama in the storm's aftermath drew national attention for its urgency and cordial tone across party lines. In 2013, Christie was reelected by a wide margin over Democrat Barbara Buono, buoyed by high approval ratings resulting from his handling of the crisis. He also cultivated relationships with prominent New Jersey Democrats like Newark's Cory Booker on select policy areas, even as partisan divides remained sharp on taxes and pensions.

Bridgegate and Governing Challenges
In September 2013, lane closures at the George Washington Bridge triggered a political scandal that came to be known as "Bridgegate". Investigations revealed that senior aides Bridget Anne Kelly and Port Authority official David Wildstein had engineered the closures, with Port Authority executive Bill Baroni implicated as well. Christie denied prior knowledge, fired Kelly, severed ties with close aide Bill Stepien, and commissioned an internal review. Federal prosecutions followed; years later, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously overturned the convictions of Kelly and Baroni in 2020, finding their conduct, while deceptive, did not constitute federal-program fraud under the charged statutes. The episode nevertheless damaged Christie's standing and complicated his national ambitions. Additional controversies, including the legal troubles of Port Authority chair David Samson, a Christie ally, and persistent state credit downgrades amid fiscal stress, added to the headwinds.

National Profile and the 2016 Presidential Campaign
By 2012, Christie had become a national Republican figure, delivering the keynote address at the Republican National Convention. He chaired the Republican Governors Association in 2014, traveling widely to raise funds and support GOP candidates. In 2015, he entered the 2016 presidential race, promoting his record as a prosecutor and a governor who took on entrenched interests. After underperforming in early contests and finishing poorly in New Hampshire, he suspended his campaign in February 2016. Days later he endorsed Donald Trump, becoming one of the first major Republican figures to do so. Christie briefly led the Trump transition team before the role shifted to Mike Pence, and he continued to appear periodically as an adviser and surrogate.

Opioid Commission and Policy Work
In 2017, President Trump appointed Christie to chair the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. The commission included figures such as Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, and Harvard Medical School professor Bertha Madras. It issued recommendations focusing on treatment expansion, data collection, and prescriber education. Christie also pursued opioid initiatives in New Jersey, emphasizing treatment and recovery services and elevating addiction as a public health priority.

Later Years, COVID-19, and Break with Trump
Christie remained a visible national voice after leaving office in January 2018. He published memoirs and policy books, reflected on his time in government, and served as a television commentator. In 2020 he prepared Donald Trump for a presidential debate and later disclosed a serious bout with COVID-19 that required hospitalization. After the 2020 election, Christie publicly rejected false claims of widespread fraud and criticized efforts to overturn results, marking a notable break with Trump's post-election rhetoric. He returned to the presidential arena in 2023, launching a 2024 Republican campaign built on a direct critique of Trump's leadership and character, with a particular focus on voters in New Hampshire. He suspended the campaign in January 2024.

Personal Life
Chris Christie married Mary Pat Foster in 1986. Mary Pat Christie, who has worked in finance, played a prominent role as New Jersey's first lady, including leadership in charitable responses to Hurricane Sandy through the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund. The couple has four children: Andrew, Sarah, Patrick, and Bridget. Christie's public persona, combative at podiums yet often jocular and self-deprecating in town halls, has been part of his political brand. His closest political collaborators over the years have included Bill Palatucci and a circle of New Jersey strategists who helped shape both his gubernatorial campaigns and national profile.

Assessment and Legacy
Chris Christie's career spans local, state, and national arenas. As U.S. Attorney, he was known for high-profile corruption cases that fed a reputation for toughness and independence. As governor, he balanced austerity-minded budgeting with high-visibility crisis management after Hurricane Sandy, forging partnerships with Democrats like Barack Obama and Stephen Sweeney while clashing with public-sector unions. Bridgegate undercut his bipartisan image, complicating his presidential ambitions even as he remained a force within the Republican Party. His engagement with the opioid crisis, his early endorsement of Donald Trump followed by outspoken criticism after 2020, and his 2024 presidential bid underscore a trajectory marked by confrontation, pragmatism, and an insistence on personal accountability. Throughout, family figures such as Mary Pat Christie and political allies including Kim Guadagno and Bill Palatucci have anchored his public life, while adversaries and counterparts, from Jon Corzine and Barbara Buono to Donald Trump, helped define his path and the debates he chose to engage.

Our collection contains 33 quotes who is written by Chris, under the main topics: Ethics & Morality - Justice - Leadership - Freedom - Peace.