New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has signed Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge vowing to “oppose and veto any and all efforts to increase taxes,” the group said Wednesday.
“Governor Chris Christie has vetoed more tax hikes than any other governor in modern American history,” said Grover Norquist, president of ATR. “And he made those vetoes stick. Without the Christie governorship, New Jersey would be somewhere between Detroit and Greece.”
Other 2016 GOP contenders to sign ATR’s pledge are Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee also took his own pledge not to raise taxes, which has drawn praise from Mr. Norquist.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has said he does not plan on signing any such pledges, but his team says his record on taxes is clear.
ATR said all of the Republican presidential candidates in 2012 signed the pledge, except for former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who dropped out of the race for the GOP nomination shortly after a third-place finish in New Hampshire.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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