New Jersey Governor Christie hedges on serving out full term

Newly re-elected New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, widely considered a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2016, on Sunday declined to say whether he would serve out his full four-year term rather than run

Asked by interviewer George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week” whether he would complete his current term, Christie replied: “Listen, who knows. I don’t know.

I’m going to continue to do my job and finish the job. But (to) everybody who is trying to figure out what life is going to bring you a few years from now, I didn’t expect to be sitting here four years ago, George. So, nobody can make those predictions.”

Christie, a moderate, won the Nov. 5 election with more than 60% of the vote to 38% for Democratic challenger state Senator Barbara Buono.

He has distanced himself from the conservative Tea Party wing of the Republican party, leaning toward immigration reform in a state where registered Democrats and independents outnumber Republicans, but he has so far avoided saying whether he will seek candidacy in the race for the White House.

Asked by Stephanopoulos if he considered that immigration reform should include a path to citizenship and reduced in-state college tuition for some illegal immigrants, Christie replied:

“I think the national solution has to ... be figured out by the people who are in charge of our national government. My job is to fix what’s going on in New Jersey.

“But I will tell you this, George, we’re not going to be able to fix all the things we need in New Jersey until national leaders set a national immigration policy. ... And if they do that, then I think it will help our economy and help our country if we get to some resolution.”