Christie drops bid for White House after weak vote

CHRIS CHRISTIE, the pugnacious governor of New Jersey, announced that he would drop his White House bid after a disappointing sixth-place finish in the New Hampshire Republican primary.

Mr Christie, 53, had staked his candidacy on a strong showing in New Hampshire, and told voters last week: “My fate is in your hands”.

He ultimately received just 7.4 per cent of the vote, trailing not only Donald Trump but John Kasich and Jeb Bush, the two other moderate governors with whom he has vied for the socalled “establishment lane” to the party’s nomination. Meanwhile, Carly Fiorina, the former HewlettPackard CEO who climbed in the polls early in the campaign after a string of impressive debate performances before fading to nearirrelevance, also dropped out of the race.

Mrs Fiorina, 61, finished seventh in New Hampshire with 4.1 per cent of the vote.