Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey is headed back to Washington in May for a fundraiser to support his political action committee, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by the Washington Examiner.
The May 14 event, at the McLean, Va., home of Christie backers Bobbie and Bill Kilberg, asks for donations to the potential presidential candidate’s PAC, Leadership Matters for America, ranging from $500 to $10,000. The email invitation, signed by the Kilbergs, offers general tickets for $500 each. But attendees can be designated as event co-chairs with a donation, or bundled contribution, of $10,000. A picture with Christie, and title of co-host of the evening gathering, runs $2,500.
“Governor Christie, a potential Republican presidential candidate, is an exceptional leader with a compelling vision for America. We would love you to attend and have the opportunity to get to know Chris. We think you will be impressed by his leadership, substantive knowledge and ability to connect on a personal level,” the invitation read. “This will be an exciting occasion and we hope you can participate.”
The host committee, as detailed on the invitation, includes a total of 18 people besides the Kilbergs.
Christie has struggled to gain traction in the shadow primary campaign for the Republican 2016 nomination. Like most of the potential candidates, the governor is not officially running, choosing instead to raise money for the PAC he launched to build buzz and support for an eventual White House campaign.
Polling shows Christie has some work to do.
The governor is in a respectable position in the RealClearPolitics.com average. At 6.4 percent, he is slightly ahead of an acknowledged top-tier competitor, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who registers 6.2 percent. In a Washington Post-ABC news poll publicized on Thursday, Christie’s favorable-unfavorable ratings among Republicans were under water, at 38 percent-41 percent. Among respondents who identified as “somewhat conservative, Christie stood at 29 percent-50 percent, favorable-unfavorable.
Individuals who identified as “very conservative” in that poll expressed similar opinions regarding Christie’s favorability. By contrast, Rubio was in positive territory, earning favorable-unfavorable ratings of 44 percent-19 percent among Republicans and 51 percent-16 percent among those who consider themselves very conservative.
