'No pathway': Chris Christie reportedly bows out of No Labels third-party consideration

Chris Christie won't roll up the sleeves to take on Donald Trump as a third party candidate.

The Washington Post reported the former New Jersey governor scratched his name off of the list of potentials that No Labels hopes to formalize ahead of the November 5 election to rival President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

“I appreciate the encouragement I’ve gotten to pursue a third-party candidacy,” Christie informed The Post on Wednesday. “While I believe this is a conversation that needs to be had with the American people, I also believe that if there is not a pathway to win and if my candidacy in any way, shape or form would help Donald Trump become president again, then it is not the way forward.”

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The thunderous candidate who challenged an absentee Trump during GOP debates while vying for the nomination early on in a crowded field had reportedly joined his team over the last few weeks mulling the possibility of embarking on the stump as the No Labels candidate.

The Post reported that Christie's team did a lot of homework, running polls in 13 states about a third bid, calculating a potential campaign budget, and mapping out a winning strategy.

To nab the election away from Biden and Trump, Christie's third-party bid would need to steal 20 to 25 states, according to clued in sources who spoke to The Post.

While Christie enjoyed the idea of running for the election as a third-party candidate, the numbers apparently didn't compute to a victorious route.

Among the factors at play involved the late start to raise capital, getting his name on the ballot in enough key states, and fearing his run would help Trump and take votes away from Biden, according to the Post sources.

Christie had been a vehement foe of the former president, who remains the presumptive GOP nominee after former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley suspended her campaign after winning only two states in the primary election.

Founding Chair of No Labels and Former Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who passed away today, had been hoping to reveal candidates for its "bipartisan unity ticket" by the beginning of spring.