Chris Christie fails to make it onto Maine's GOP primary election ballot

Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Former New Jersey governor and Republican presidential hopeful Chris Christie will not be on the Maine primary election ballot after failing to obtain the required number of in-state petition signatures.

In order to be on the ballot for Maine's March 5, 2024, primary election, candidates must have 2,000 in-state signatures, but state officials said Saturday he didn't make the cut.

"The deadline for candidates for president to turn in a sufficient number of signatures to be on the March 5, 2024, primary election ballot was 5 p.m. today," Maine's Secretary of State said in a press release.

Christie only received 844 signatures, Maine Director of Elections Heidi Peckham told CBS News.

A Christie campaign spokesperson told the broadcaster the campaign collected and submitted more than 6,000 signatures, adding, "This is simply a procedural issue with the way they reviewed signatures."

The spokesperson also said the campaign would appeal to get back on the ballot.

Democratic presidential hopeful Marianne Williamson was also left off the ballot for the March Democratic primary.