New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announces run for president

LIVINGSTON, N.J. — Chris Christie, a onetime rising Republican star whose political stock fell sharply after a traffic scandal involving former aides and appointees, said Tuesday that he is running for president, casting himself as a candidate who can work with both political parties to ease the “anxiety” over government dysfunction he says has seized the American people.

Christie enters a crowded field as an underdog, wagering that his retail political skills and brash style will propel him into serious competition for his party’s nod.

Later, he plans to hold a town hall meeting in New Hampshire, pivoting to his signature political venue in a state many strategists see as a must-win if Christie is going be a real contender.

Tuesday’s announcement came as his appeal to Republicans was at a low point — a sharp departure from the highs of late 2013 when he was fresh off a decisive re-election victory in his heavily Democratic state and was seen widely as the GOP establishment favorite for president.

[...] the unique persona that made him a Republican rock star early in his first term remains: part former federal prosecutor and part suburban dad yelling at a soccer game.