CNN Republican presidential debate with Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced Wednesday that he is suspending his campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

“It is clear to me tonight that there isn’t a path for me to winning nomination which is why I’m suspending my campaign tonight for president of the United States,” he said at a town hall in Windham, New Hampshire, just 10 days before the first-in-the-nation primary in that state.

After the 2016 race, Christie said he made a promise to himself and his wife that he would never let ambition control his decision making.

“Campaigns are run to win, that’s why we do them,” Christie said. “My goal has never been to be just a voice against the hate, and the division and the selfishness of what our party has become under Donald Trump — it’s also been to win the nomination and defeat Joe Biden and restore our party and our country to a new place of hope and optimism in this country.”

The decision marks the exit of the most outspoken critic of the former president in the GOP primary.

Christie said he has been in this race “to tell the truth” about “what’s really at stake” and about Trump from the beginning. 

Christie criticized lawmakers who have endorsed the former president and said the Republican Party needs to change in order to heal divisions in the country.

“If we ever have a hope of restoring this party to be a governing party of principles, we have to be willing to do the hard work and take some of the heat that come with it,” he said.

The former New Jersey governor told voters that the “character of the candidate” is the most important issue they should take into account when going to the polls.

“You know, and she’s gonna get smoked and you and I both know it. She’s not up to this,” Christie can be heard, appearing to reference former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

Christie could also be heard saying that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called him. “DeSantis called me, petrified that I would —” Christie says before the audio appeared to cut out.

The full context of the partial remark is unclear, but Christie’s New Hampshire campaign chair Wayne Macdonald confirmed to CNN that Christie was talking to him.

It was in a conversation before the event after Christie had informed him and other members of his state leadership team about the decision.

CNN has reached out to the Christie, DeSantis and Haley campaigns for comment.

More on Christie’s campaign: Christie launched his campaign for the GOP presidential nomination at a June town hall in New Hampshire, drawing stark contrasts with Trump.

Wednesday’s announcement comes just one day after Christie defended his White House bid and pushed back on New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu’s recent suggestion that he had no path forward to the nomination.

Despite suspending his campaign for president tonight, Christie’s name will remain on the New Hampshire primary ballot.