A Step Towards a 2024 Run? New Hampshire’s Sununu Creates PAC
🔴 Gov. Chris Sununu said the Live Free or Die PAC lets him "talk about the successes that we’ve had in New Hampshire"
🔴 It also allows him to raise unlimited amounts of money without committing to a 2024 presidential campaign
🔴 Nikki Haley will likely announce her own 2024 campaign Wednesday, followed by a trip to New Hampshire
Gov. Chris Sununu appears to be doing more than just thinking about a 2024 presidential run with the creation of a national political organization.
NBC News was first to report the governor has created the Live Free or Die committee, which allows the creator to collect an unlimited amount of financial donations.
A spokesman for Sununu's non-gubernatorial activities said the committee "prioritizes conservative values and framing the national conversation to meaningfully engage and inspire the next generation of Americans."
It's standard operating procedure these days for potential presidential candidates to set up a PAC, according to SNHU Civic Scholar and founder of NH Political Capital Dean Spiliotes. But it's not an iron clad guarantee he is running for president.
"In the old days, they would go straight to an exploratory committee, but the PAC allows maximum flexibility for an individual to raise money and be a 'national player,' even if they ultimately decide not to run. It seems like Sununu is giving it a serious look, but the PAC doesn't mean he's definitely running," Spiliotes said.
“I’m excited to talk about the successes that we’ve had in New Hampshire lowering taxes, creating educational choices for parents and kids, and building opportunities for businesses to grow and thrive," Sununu said in a statement to Seacoast Current. "What we’ve done in New Hampshire is a great model for the federal government – specifically promoting the conservative tenets of limited government, local control, and individual responsibility.”
News of the PAC comes as Sununu is in Washington for the National Governors Association 115th annual Winter Meeting. The NH Journal reports he may be meeting with Republicans who would like to see him enter the race.
Former President Donald Trump is the only announced Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential primary, but is likely getting company in the form of former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.
A video indicates she will make an announcement Wednesday about her own aspirations. She will follow up her announcement with an appearance at Exeter Town Hall the next day, and the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm College on the 17, according to NH Journal.
Haley endorsed Sununu and Don Bolduc in the U.S. Senate during last fall's general election. During the GOP primary she endorsed Matt Mowers, who ultimately finished second to Karoline Leavitt.
Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH