New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as Donald Trump's running mate "would be unacceptable to conservatives," Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell said Wednesday.
"It's imperative for Trump to choose a conservative nominee," Blackwell said in an email sent to more than 200 conservative leaders opposing any selection of the two-term governor. "Chris Christie is NOT a conservative.
Trump said Wednesday that
he will announce his choice on Friday morning.
He told Fox News that he was
"narrowing … down" his choices but that "I'm at three, potentially four, but in my own mind, I probably am thinking about two."
Speculation is strong that Trump's two choices are former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, both of whom met with the billionaire on Wednesday.
Newsmax reported in May that Gingrich
was at the top of Trump's list, citing a close confidante.
Christie, who was the first of his former 2016 competitors to endorse Trump, met with family members on Tuesday.
He talked with the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Wednesday by telephone from Washington.
Blackwell is the former mayor of Cincinnati and Ohio state treasurer.
In his appeal to conservatives, he cited a report by the
Club for Growth that examines Christie's record — and that the white paper "documents that his record is not conservative.
"Christie has been on the wrong side of a number of key issues," he added. "He expanded Obamacare and has supported numerous tax-and-spending increases in New Jersey.
"We also know how terrible he is on the selection of judges.
"We need to make it clear that a Christie nomination for vice president would be unacceptable to conservatives," Blackwell said.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.