Chris Christie, a presidential hopeful in 2016, was elected to his first term as governor of New Jersey in 2009, and was re-elected in 2013, making the two-time Republican winner in a traditionally Democratic state a strong GOP contender should he decide to run.
These are seven facts about Chris Christie's personal life:
1. The only time Christie resided in a state other than New Jersey was when he attended college at the University of Delaware. He was born in Newark, New Jersey, and spent the majority of his childhood in Livingston.
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2. Christie is the oldest of three children, born to Wilbur, a certified public accountant, and Sondra.
3. He was introduced to politics by his grandmother, with whom he watched “Meet The Press” in her apartment in East Orange.
4. Christie married his wife, Mary Pat, in 1986, and they have four children, Andrew, Sarah, Patrick and Bridget.
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5. Christie has seen Bruce Springsteen perform more than 100 times, and met him personally at a benefit concert for victims of Superstorm Sandy. Christie said meeting Springsteen was a highlight after a tremendously stressful week.
6. In 2013, Christie spent 15 minutes answering student’s questions at Riletta Twyne Cream School, where he told the students that baseball is his favorite sport. "Unfortunately, I'm a Mets fan, which means I spend most of the baseball season depressed," he said.
7. In 2013, Christie underwent lap-belt weight-loss surgery. Not even his closest aides knew it at the time. As he told reporters at a press conference, "It's nobody else's business,” adding, "I turned 50 years old and it made me think."
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