Havenstein also noted that a number of other potential White House contenders, including Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, stumped for him last year as well. “I’m looking forward to all of them coming back to New Hampshire,” Havenstein said, adding that he will likely lend his support to a candidate “later in the cycle.”

Christie finds himself in a similar situation in Iowa and South Carolina—the other two early-voting states in the nominating process. In Iowa, Christie has worked tirelessly to cultivate a relationship with the governor, Terry Branstad. Two operatives with ties to Branstad are helping Christie get his presidential campaign off the ground in Iowa, and Branstad told National Journal earlier this month that Christie has “certainly been very helpful” over the years, including in his 2014 reelection contest. However, Branstad will not officially place his stamp of approval on any candidate in the 2016 race.

Unlike Branstad, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has a history of backing presidential candidates during the primary, as she was an early supporter of Mitt Romney in 2008 and 2012. Christie campaigned for Haley on two occasions in 2014, even though her race was not all that competitive. Haley has yet to offer an endorsement this time around, but she recently told The Washington Post that she is “a fan of governors.”