Gov. Chris Christie
Gov. Chris Christie (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
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Chris Christie's presidential campaign received a major boost in New Hampshire in the form of an endorsement from the newspaper of the state's largest city, after spending nearly 50 days in the state.

In an editorial titled "For our safety, our future: Chris Christie for President," released on Sunday in the New Hampshire Union Leader's print editions and on its website, the newspaper wrote that with the New Hampshire primary 10 weeks away, and voters will "make a choice that will profoundly affect our country and the world. We better get it right."

The paper wrote Christie is "the one candidate who has the range and type of experience the nation desperately needs," and called him a "solid, pro-life conservative who has managed to govern in liberal New Jersey, face down the big public unions, and win a second term."

"Gov. Christie can work across the aisle, but he won't get rolled by the bureaucrats," the Union Leader continued.

The editorial said "We don't need as president some well-meaning person from the private sector who has no public experience."

NH1 reported that Christie will also be endorsed by Republican activists Renee and Dan Plummer on Monday at a business roundtable in Portsmouth. The Plummers have helped the Portsmouth area recover from the closure of Pease Air Force Base in the 1990s by bringing business and industry to the base property.

The endorsement of the Union Leader, which leans conservative, is coveted in political circles but does not necessarily lead to a win. The Union Leader endorsed Newt Gingrich in 2012, Steve Forbes in 2000 and Pat Buchanan in both 1992 and 1996 — all lost GOP primaries.

But 2008 primary winner John McCain received the newspaper's endorsement as well.

Comments on the newspaper website are questioning the endorsement. "Chris Christie is a bully who belittles his constituency from his bully pulpit if they dare to question his kingship, and never met a gun control law he didn't love, especially as US Attorney for NJ," wrote Elle Anderson.

"CC is deeply unpopular in New Jersey today, and for good reason. the only ones who have benefited from his administration are CC and his cronies. He represents crony capitalism at its worst," wrote David Sandler."

Joseph Zannoni wrote, "He has shown himself to be a person who's one and only interest is Chris Christie. He will say and do ANYTHING that he needs to to get what he wants. He is using the Union Leader just like he used the citizens of NJ."

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