Allan Fung wins endorsement from Chris Christie in hotly contested Rhode Island race

Ryan King

October 10, 05:33 PM Oct 10, 05:33 PM

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie endorsed Republican Rhode Island hopeful Allan Fung in the race for the state's 2nd Congressional District on Monday.

Christie brought his huge personality to the country's smallest point out Monday to stump for Fung through Columbus Working day festivities in Providence and touted Fung as a design for the Republican Bash and the place extra broadly.

REPUBLICAN ALLAN FUNG Potential customers DEMOCRAT IN DEEP-BLUE RHODE ISLAND DISTRICT: POLL

“We need to have a lot more people today like Allan Fung in Congress,” Christie instructed ABC 6 Information. “People who are good, who vote their ideas, and will perform across the aisle.”

“I want somebody who’s likely to go down there and hear to the other aspect, and test to discover some widespread ground,” the former governor included.

Christie joins a increasing record of nationwide Republicans eyeing the Ocean State congressional contest. Final thirty day period, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker headlined a fundraiser for Fung. The Congressional Leadership Fund, which is aligned with Residence Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), reportedly ideas to pour upward of $1 million into the race in hopes of eking out an upset victory.

District 2 has historically been a Democratic stronghold. President Joe Biden won the district by double digits in 2020, but Fung has managed to poll strongly in opposition to his Democratic rival Seth Magaziner in the congressional contest. A new poll, which had a big margin of error of plus or minus 6.2 proportion points, observed Fung edging out Magaziner by 6 details.

The seat is held by outgoing Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI), and as the previous mayor of Cranston, the second-largest city in the condition, Fung brings ample identify recognition into the race. Magaziner at the moment serves as the state treasurer.

Magaziner's group was rapid to return fireplace following Christie's stump for Fung, deploying their common go-to attack line with Fung, trying to find to caricature him as catering to extremist Republicans.

"If Allan Fung is palling all-around with serious Republicans like Chris Christie who desires to minimize Social Security and ban abortion, envision who he will tie himself to in Congress," reported Magaziner's communications director Patricia Socarras.

"Rhode Islanders can not hazard sending Allan Fung to Congress when he has consistently proven he supports the most extraordinary elements of his occasion," she added.

Christie earlier backed Fung in a 2014 race in which Fung unsuccessfully vied for governor versus Gina Raimondo.

Christie unveiled that he is mulling a 2024 campaign for the presidency in the course of an overall look on Actual Time with Bill Maher very last Friday. He also threw shade at former President Donald Trump, with whom relations seem to have frayed.

“The issue with the Republican Get together is we have completed a large amount of losing lately. Considering the fact that 2016, we lost the Property, we misplaced the Senate, we misplaced the White Dwelling, we dropped two winnable Senate seats in the condition of Georgia. I’m worn out of getting rid of," Christie reported.