Chris Christie Appears to Be Done

Photo: Chris Christie addresses supporters in Nashua Tuesday night after the New Hampshire primary polls closed. (Credit: Christie campaign)

NASHUA, NH — After a disappointing finish in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday, a dejected Chris Christie didn’t officially drop out of the race for the Republican nomination—but his demeanor sure hinted at it.

• Subscribe to Nashua Patch news alerts

“The people of New Hampshire have spoken very clearly,” said Christie, who will fly back home to New Jersey instead of traveling to South Carolina for that state’s primary later this month.

“We’re going to take a deep breath,” Christie said, addressing supporters in Nashua. “It will allow us to make a decision about how we move on from here.”

Christie said he wants to find out if he finished fifth or sixth. Donald Trump scored a resounding victory in the race. As of late Tuesday night, here’s where the candidates stood with just over half of precincts reporting:

• Donald Trump: 34.6 percent
• John Kasich: 16.2
• Ted Cruz: 11.5
• Jeb Bush: 11.2
• Marco Rubio: 10.5
• Chris Christie: 7.6

Christie needed New Hampshire to electroshock his campaign to life. He secured the endorsement of the Union Leader, the state’s largest newspaper, and turned in a strong debate performance Saturday, attacking Marco Rubio for his robotic talking points. But Christie failed to capitalize.

If nothing else, Christie’s attacks on Rubio torpedoed the Florida senator’s “Marcomentum” after Rubio’s strong showing in Iowa.

• Live Results: New Hampshire Primary 2016