Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie released his first television ad of the 2016 cycle on Friday, touting his “tell it like it is” style that he has been pitching to potential voters on the campaign trail.
The 30-second ad, called “Leadership,” features footage from his recent, unscripted speech in his hometown of Livingston, N.J., where he announced his Oval Office bid.
“I am not looking to be the most popular guy, who looks in your eyes every day and tries to figure out what you want to hear, say it, and then turn around and say something else,” the New Jersey governor is seen saying. “I mean what I say and I say what I mean. And that’s what America needs right now,” Christie adds.
Samantha Smith, Chris Christie for President campaign spokeswoman, told msnbc the ad is part of a nearly $500,000 buy and will run for four weeks across broadcast television in Boston and Manchester, N.H., in addition to cable, radio and digital statewide in the Granite State.
The governor has been placing a lot of time and effort campaigning in the early voting state of New Hampshire, which is quickly emerging as a do-or-die state for the northeastern GOPer.
According to a recent poll from Suffolk University—released just before Christie officially announced his 2016 intentions, Christie is in sixth place in New Hampshire, with 5% support, among likely GOP presidential primary voters. He trails behind former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (14%) billionaire real estate mogul Donald Trump (11%), Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (8%), Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida (7%) and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson (6%). The poll, however, had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points, meaning Christie, Carson, Rubio, and Walker are in a statistical tie.
