New Hampshire
Chris Christie will announce at New Hampshire town hall that he’s ending presidential bid, AP source says
(AP) – WINDHAM, N.H. (AP) — Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is planning to announce he’s dropping his Republican presidential bid at his New Hampshire town hall on Wednesday night.
That’s according to a person with direct knowledge of the former New Jersey governor’s plans who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to disclose private discussions.
Christie, 61, has been under intense pressure to exit the Republican presidential primary race as critics of Donald Trump work to unify behind a viable alternative to the former president.
Christie is scheduled to host a town hall meeting in Windham at 5 p.m., hours before two of his rivals, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, meet for the fifth GOP presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle. It is the only debate that Christie did not qualify for.
The news comes as a surprise, given that Christie had staked the success of his campaign on New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary, which is less than two weeks away. He had insisted as recently as Tuesday night that he had no plans to leave the race, rebuffing growing calls for him to step aside as he continued to cast himself as the only candidate willing to directly take on the former president.
“I would be happy to get out of the way for someone who is actually running against Donald Trump,” he said at a town hall in Rochester, New Hampshire, while arguing that none of his rivals had stepped up to the plate.
“I’m famous enough. … I’ve got plenty of titles. … The only reason to do this is to win,” he added. “So I’d be happy to get out of the way for somebody if they actually were going against Donald Trump.”
But Christie faced a stark reality: While recent polls showed him reaching the double digits in New Hampshire, Haley shows signs of momentum. A CNN/UNH poll conducted in the state this week found Trump’s lead down to the single digits, with 4 in 10 likely Republican primary voters choosing Trump and about one-third now choosing Haley.
Allies of Haley, including New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu and other anti-Trump Republicans, had been urging Christie to exit, hoping a large portion of his supporters would flock to Haley, giving her a chance to turn the race into a two-candidate contest with Trump, the overwhelming favorite for the nomination.
The New Hampshire poll — which showed Christie at 12% — found about two-thirds of his supporters would select Haley as their second choice.
Christie had run as the race’s fiercest critic of the former president-turned-GOP front-runner. He warned voters against nominating a candidate who has been criminally indicted four times and could very well be a convicted felon by the November general election. And he argued Trump will lose in a rematch with President Joe Biden, the likely Democratic nominee.
While his anti-Trump message attracted much media attention and helped bring in waves of small-dollar donations that kept him in the race — and on the debate stage — far longer than many expected, Christie was plagued by high unfavorability ratings in a party that remains deeply loyal to Trump.
He also remained mired in the single digits in national polling.
Nonetheless, Christie managed to outlast far better-known and better-funded candidates, including former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, in part because he ran a frugal campaign. Instead of flying by private jet and hiring a litany of expensive consultants, he relied on a tight-knit staff of just over a dozen people and had a far lower “burn rate” than rivals like DeSantis, spending far less per day.
___
Peoples and Colvin reported from Des Moines, Iowa.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
New Hampshire
Nashua, NH man arrested in $150K jewelry burglary case
NASHUA, N.H. — An investigation into a September burglary involving the theft of $150,000 in jewelry from a store led to an arrest on Tuesday.
The Nashua Police identified the suspect as Nathan Ladue, 34, of Nashua, who was taken into custody on a felony warrant for receiving stolen property.
The case began on Sept. 28 when officers were called to a burglary report at Euddy Jewelry, located at 108 E. Hollis St. Police said that surveillance footage showed a white male driving a vehicle in the area that was registered to Ladue.
Detectives from the department’s Criminal Investigation Division obtained search warrants for Ladue’s vehicle and residence, which allegedly uncovered multiple pieces of stolen jewelry along with illegal drugs.
Ladue was subsequently arrested on a felony warrant on Tuesday.
He is charged with two counts of receiving stolen property, a Class A felony; two counts of possession of a controlled drug, a Class B felony; and receiving stolen property, a Class A misdemeanor.
Ladue was held without bail pending his arraignment at 9th Circuit Nashua District Court on Wednesday. The outcome of the hearing was not immediately available.
Police are asking anyone with information about the case to call the Nashua Police Department Crime Line at 603-589-1665.
Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.
New Hampshire
Walk Through 3 Million Incredible Lights at New England’s Largest Holiday Light Show
Have you heard of Holly Jolly Journey in Litchfield, New Hampshire?
It’s touted as “New England’s largest and most spectacular holiday light show,” and it’s just one more incredible event you should check out this Christmas season.
According to its website, Holly Jolly Journey has added a million lights for this recent season, meaning there are now over 3 million dazzling lights you can take in while walking through.
What Is Holly Jolly Journey in Litchfield, New Hampshire?
Located at Mel’s Funway Park in Litchfield, Holly Jolly Journey is a walk-through Christmas light event that spans over 2/3 of a mile and features some incredible displays all along the way.
Some of the spectacular things you can see include Santa’s Workshop, Candy Cane Lane, Twinkly Tunnel and Teddy’s Christmas Corner, among others.
The walk is truly mesmerizingly festive.
The Holly Jolly Journey website also notes some new stuff for the 2025/26 season, including additions to almost every scene along the walk, more trees lit, more food and drink stations, a new 28-foot centerpiece, and a new indoor party suite.
When is the Holly Jolly Journey in Litchfield, New Hampshire?
According to its website, the Holly Jolly Journey takes place from the day after Thanksgiving through January 11. It is closed on Christmas Eve.
There are multiple time slots to choose from, starting at 4:30 p.m. and with the last time slot of the day being at 10 p.m. (for those late-night holiday owls).
It should take about an hour to complete, but you can take as long as you’d like.
READ MORE: New Hampshire’s Dazzling 2-Mile Holiday Drive-Thru With 3 Million Lights Returns for 2025
Have you decided which holiday experience you should do this season? You certainly don’t have to limit yourself to one, and Holly Jolly Journey is one you might want to consider. With over 3 million lights and incredible displays on a festive walk perfect for the family, you’ll be soaking up the sparkle of Christmas in the best way possible.
You’ll also have so many Instagram-worthy pics with that glowing backdrop!
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New Hampshire
New Hampshire woman arrested after high-speed chase ends in crash
DOVER, New Hampshire (WGME) — A New Hampshire woman is facing charges after reportedly speeding more than 100 miles per hour during a police chase.
New Hampshire State Police say it happened Saturday night on Route 16 in Dover.
Troopers say they tried to pull over the driver, Stephanie Dupont, but she took off at high speed.
Troopers say they followed her to Exit 3, where she veered off the road.
After the crash, they say she jumped out of the car and tried to flee on foot.
An off-duty officer from Ogunquit happened to be near by and was able to stop her.
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Officials say Dupont suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash.
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