Former Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Republican Daniel Cameron's loss in the Kentucky gubernatorial race was a "verdict" on "politicians who sell their soul to Donald Trump."
Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) won reelection over Cameron, who had campaigned strongly on his endorsement from former President Donald Trump. While speaking on CNN on Tuesday, Christie said Cameron's status as a "rising star" within the GOP fell apart when he decided to tie himself so closely to Trump.
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“Daniel Cameron was a rising star in the Republican Party until he decided to throw his lot in with Donald Trump,” Christie said. “I mean, let’s face it: Donald Trump is political and electoral poison down ballot,” Christie said.
The 2024 presidential candidate went through the list of Republican losses since Trump's victories in 2016, including the underperformance by Republicans in last year's midterm elections, in which the GOP only narrowly won back the House of Representatives.
Chris Christie on CNN: "Daniel Cameron made a huge mistake by embracing Donald Trump and selling his soul to him. And that's what he did. And the voters -- Kentucky is a very red state, as you noted -- gave their verdict on politicians who sell their soul to Donald Trump." pic.twitter.com/U8Uy543DGP
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 8, 2023
“Down ballot, his endorsement has led to Republican defeats in the Senate and the House in ‘18. In ‘20, we lost the United States Senate and the White House. In ‘22, we underperformed miserably. And tonight, you’re seeing us lose again,” Christie said.
"Daniel Cameron made a huge mistake by embracing Donald Trump and selling his soul to him. That’s what he did. And the voters — Kentucky, a very red state, as you noted — gave their verdict on politicians who sell their soul to Donald Trump," he added.
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Trump won Kentucky in 2020 over now-President Joe Biden by more than 25 points, but Beshear was able to win against Cameron, even as Republicans vastly outperformed their Democratic rivals in all statewide races on 2023's election night. The results in Kentucky were part of a triumphant night for Democrats and a rough night for the GOP in various states, a year out from the pivotal 2024 presidential election. Democrats picked up major victories in several races nationwide, including in Virginia and New Jersey.
Christie is one of five GOP presidential candidates participating in the Republican debate in Miami on Wednesday. Trump has opted to skip the debate, as he did with the first two.