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Christie Ends 2016 White House Bid

NASHUA, N.H. (CBS/AP) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie dropped out of the 2016 race for the White House Wednesday, after finishing sixth in the New Hampshire primary.

The following statement was posted to his Facebook account Wednesday night:

"I ran for president with the message that the government needs to once again work for the people, not the people work for the government. And while running for president I tried to reinforce what I have always believed - that speaking your mind matters, that experience matters, that competence matters and that it will always matter in leading our nation. That message was heard by and stood for by a lot of people, but just not enough and that's ok. I have both won elections that I was supposed to lose and I've lost elections I was supposed to win and what that means is you never know what will happen. That is both the magic and the mystery of politics - you never quite know when which is going to happen, even when you think you do. And so today, I leave the race without an ounce of regret. I'm so proud of the campaign we ran, the people that ran it with me and all those who gave us their support and confidence along the way. Mary Pat and I thank you for the extraordinary display of loyalty, friendship, understanding and love."

READ: New Hampshire Primary Could Be Pivotal For Christie

Chief White House Correspondent CBS News, Major Garrett, confirms Christie is ending his presidential campaign.

Christie had banked his presidential prospects on a strong finish in the early-voting state, but finished behind most of his Republican rivals in Tuesday's election.

READ: NH The Last Stop For Christie? 'Next' Question!

It was the final blow for a candidate who spent more than 70 days campaigning in New Hampshire.

Christie had trouble from the get-go raising money and building support in a crowded Republican field dominated by another brash East Coaster: businessman Donald Trump.

Christie's performance in New Hampshire was lackluster at best, given he spent more time in the Granite State than any other candidate.

Pundits and political observers alike suggest the Governor has no viable option but to bow out, and the sooner the better.

Monmouth University pollster Patrick Murray, in an interview with KYW Newsradio, suggested that if Christie remained in the race "he could embarrass himself which means it would hurt his chances of running again in say 2020 or 2024 when there's another opportunity and rest assured that he still harbors those ambitions."

As for whom Christie could get behind, Murray suggests it might be Ohio Governor John Kasich, who finished second to Donald Trump in New Hampshire. Then again, whatever support Christie can provide now is probably limited.

Christie is not believed to have much campaign cash on hand and it's unlikely well heeled donors will pony up much more given his performance to date.

Today, Carly Fiorina announced that she is suspending her 2016 presidential campaign.

KYW's David Madden contributed to this report.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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