WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie got a warm welcome from Iowa Republicans Monday in his first campaign appearance since returning from a rocky trade trip to the United Kingdom.
Christie appeared at an event sponsored by a county GOP organization held in suburban Des Moines. Seeking to win over voters in the kickoff caucus state, Christie cited his record as a conservative governor in a Democratic state, noting his efforts to cut taxes and reduce spending.
“Even in a state like mine, one of the ten most liberal in the country, leadership matters,” Christie said to the more than 50 people gathered in a hotel ballroom.
Christie, who also met privately with Republican Gov. Terry Branstad Monday, has not formally declared any 2016 plans, but recently moved closer with the formation of Leadership Matters for America, a political action committee.
The event was Christie’s first campaign appearance since he returned from a shaky trip to the United Kingdom last week. The journey was designed to burnish his foreign policy credentials, but Christie largely avoided talking publicly about world affairs and drew criticism for comments he made offering support for parents who chose not to vaccinate their children.