NH Gov. Chris Sununu, a Trump critic, passes on 2024 campaign

WASHINGTON – New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu became the latest Republican politician to pass on joining a crowded GOP 2024 presidential field on Monday.

The race for the Republican nomination already includes former President Donald Trump; Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis; former governors Nikki Haley of South Carolina and Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas; U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina; and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. And the field is only expected to grow.

The situation has made the former president the undisputed frontrunner in a contest that Sununu says can be won by one of the announced or unannounced candidates, if the party coalesces by the end of the year around a single Trump competitor.

"The message on top of this ticket is so negative, and it's something that all Republicans almost have to carry around as baggage, but it's not our baggage, it's Donald Trump's baggage. Let's leave it with him and make sure that we as a party are driving on the right message to be successful across the country," Sununu said.

Sununu had been flirting with bid for months but told USA TODAY on Monday that he began "waning off the idea" of running a few weeks ago as considered how he could help the GOP expand its appeal to young and independent voters.

Sununu said his low polling, newly released primary debate criteria and the anticipated entry into the race this week of other anti-Trump candidates were not significant factors in his decision.

"I realized and slowly came to the conclusion that while it would be great to be a candidate – I know I could be very successful. I think we could really make a run at it – I'm probably much more useful as an unleashed voice," he said.

Sununu had hoped to campaign as a pro-business Republican who favors a hands-off approach to state and local government. He evaluated a chance to win the party's nomination with the help of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents who have lost faith in Trump.

He told USA TODAY in April that if he ran, his 2024 campaign would center on retail politicking, an approach that often pays off in early contests in states such as Iowa and New Hampshire.

But he said first in a CNN interview on Monday in New Hampshire that he would not run after considering his options. His announcement comes as former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and ex-Vice President Mike Pence join the GOP field.

In polling, Trump and DeSantis are the only GOP candidates who consistently pull in double-digit, national support. That may change as the race gets underway and after the first primary debate, Sununu said.

"I give everyone an open shot," Sununu told USA TODAY. "But you have to know how to invest your money, how to get the message out, and most importantly, how to get people excited. Just having the right policy isn't enough. Just being known with name ID or having money isn't enough. You've got to get people excited. You got to bring a little fire. It'll be interesting how each of them tries to find that spark to ignite their campaigns as it kicks off."

Last week, the Republican National Committee laid out the rules for the party's first debate on Aug. 23 in Milwaukee, including a donor and polling threshold. Candidates entering the competition this summer will have to make haste in order to meet the qualifications.

To participate in the debates, candidates must also pledge to support the party's eventual nominee – a requirement that may prove difficult for politicians such as Sununu, who have loudly advocated for the party to move on Trump.

Sununu said he could have met the early RNC debate requirements and the prospect of having to pledging to support Trump if he is the nominee did not scare him out of the race.

"People are going to sign whatever loyalty pledge they want to sign to get on that stage. But I don't put much credence into that. We'll see how well it holds," Sununu said.

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Sununu is popular in his state, which has a vaunted role as an early state in the presidential nominating process. But he is relatively little known nationally. Polls had shown him struggling to make headway in the competition, and Sununu had said that low-performing candidates should drop out early in the process.

Candidates who are still in the low single digits should get out in November or December, he said on Monday. As the governor of New Hampshire, he said he would be vocal about telling flailing candidates to drop out.

"These are all my friends, but I'll be extremely vocal about anyone who's just clogging up the field or looks like they're just kind of running for vice president," he said. "You don't deserve to be on a presidential stage if that's your plan."

As to who gets his backing in the early primary state, Sununu said his endorsement is still up for grabs.

"They have to be able to just call out what we're seeing on top of this ticket with Donald Trump," Sununu said. "He doesn't represent our values and he does not represent the success story Republicans need to see in the coming years."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu passes on 2024 presidential bid