KEENE, NH – New Hampshire’s longtime Republican Governor has ended speculation that he would launch a campaign for President.

In an exclusive interview with CNN, Governor Chris Sununu announced that he will not be throwing his hat in the ring for the Republican nomination for the White House in 2024.

In an Op-Ed in the Washington Post, Sununu said he feels he will have more of an influence on the future of the Republican Party and the 2024 nominating process as the Governor of the first-in-the-nation primary state, New Hampshire, rather than a candidate for President.

“…A governor who is unafraid to speak candidly about issues, candidates and the direction of our party, untethered from the limitations of a presidential campaign and unleashed from conventional boundaries,” Sununu said in the piece. “We must not be complacent, and candidates should not get into this race to further a vanity campaign, to sell books or to audition to serve as Donald Trump’s vice president.”

Sununu has been a longtime critic of former President Donald Trump. Sununu said that despite shortcomings in Trump’s previous terms, current polls indicate that he is the leading republican candidate for the 2024 primary so far.

“He did not deliver on his promises to drain the swamp, secure the border and instill fiscal responsibility while in office — and added $8 trillion to our national debt — yet now he wants four more years,” Sununu said. “If he is the nominee, Republicans will lose again. Just as we did in 2018, 2020 and 2022.”

Sununu previously told CNN that he would support whoever the 2024 Republican nominee was, and that he didn’t think it would be Trump. In the Washington Post, he said he plans to endorse the candidate that he feels has the best chance of winning in 2024.

“By choosing not to seek the nomination, I can be more effective for the Republican Party in ways few other leaders can. The microphone afforded to the governor of New Hampshire plays a critical role in an early nominating state.”

Sununu echoed that sentiment in a statement Monday afternoon.

“The Republican Party is at a crossroads, and in 2024 we Republicans must nominate the most conservative candidate for President who can win in November of 2024 and get things done in 2025.”

Sununu said Republicans need to adjust their messaging and appeal to new voters, younger millennials and Gen Z voters in particular.

Sununu will join WKBK to further discuss his decision Tuesday June 6th at 7:10 AM. You can tune in on AM 1290, FM 94.1, or click “Listen Live” at the top of this page.