Conservative Solutions PAC, a group supporting Rubio’s presidential bid, released two new ads on Monday that hammered Christie for his “high tax, Common Core, liberal energy loving, Obamacare Medicaid expanding” policies.
The ads are intended to target both conservative and moderate voters. The first aligns Christie with the president, arguing that “Chris Christie could well be Obama’s favorite Republican governor.” The second critiques his record as governor of New Jersey, with a narrator saying, “High taxes, weak economy, scandals—not what we need in the White House.”
Christie has surged in New Hampshire polls, going from just 4 percent before Thanksgiving to 12 percent in the most recent poll. While Donald Trump remains the frontrunner, the real race is shaping up between the establishment candidates jockeying for a second place finish. Whoever wins the establishment lane may have an easier time consolidating support in the subsequent primaries.
Christie and Rubio are now running neck and neck. According to a Real Clear Politics average, Rubio is drawing 13 percent in New Hampshire polls. Christie is at 11 percent. Rubio is clearly worried, and his PAC appears to be stepping in to neutralize the threat.