English: Christopher James "Chris" Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician and member of the Republican Party who has served as the 55th Governor of New Jersey since January 2010. Born in Newark in 1962, Christie volunteered for the gubernatorial campaign of Republican Thomas Kean when he was 15. A 1984 graduate of the University of Delaware, Christie earned a J.D. at Seton Hall University School of Law. Christie joined a Cranford, New Jersey, law firm in 1987, rose to become a partner in 1993, and continued practicing until 2002. He was elected county legislator in Morris County, serving from 1995 to 1998, during which time he generally pushed for lower taxes and lower spending. By 2002, Christie had campaigned for Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush; the latter appointed him as United States Attorney for New Jersey, a position he held from 2002 to 2008. In that position, he emphasized prosecutions of political corruption and also obtained convictions for sexual slavery, arms trafficking, racketeering by gangs, and other federal crimes. In January 2009, Christie declared his candidacy for Governor of New Jersey. He won the Republican primary, and defeated incumbent Governor Jon Corzine in the election that November. In 2013, he won re-election as Governor, defeating Democrat Barbara Buono by a margin of over 22%. He was sworn in to a second term as governor on January 21, 2014. On November 21, 2013, Christie was elected Chairman of the Republican Governors Association, succeeding Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. Christie was seen as a potential candidate in the 2012 presidential election, and though not running, he was the keynote speaker at the 2012 Republican National Convention. He is viewed as a potential presidential candidate in 2016. Following the controversial closure of toll plaza access lanes in Fort Lee in 2013, an internal investigation commissioned by the Governor's Office found no evidence of Christie having prior knowledge of or having directed the closure. Investigations of the affair by United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey and the New Jersey Legislature are ongoing. Welcome to the Southern Republican Leadership Conference May 21-23 promises to be a rendezvous with destiny in Oklahoma City. The unofficial start of the 2016 Republican Presidential campaign begins here, in the new energy capital of America! The 2016 election will be one of the most important in our lifetime. The choices we make in the next two years will define America for the next 50 years. On behalf of the Oklahoma Republican Party and the entire SRLC Committee, please join us as we begin our shared Republican journey towards capturing the White House and renewing our nation. It is our distinct privilege to invite you to attend the 2015 Southern Republican Leadership Conference, to be held at the Cox Convention Center and Downtown Oklahoma City Renaissance Convention Center Hotel on May 21-23, 2015. We hope you will join us! The SRLC has a star-studded history as one of the premier conferences for all Republicans and conservative activists. This year we anticipate 50 speakers, break-out sessions with energy, utility and manufacturing opinion leaders, and 75 partnering organizations. In addition, we are hosting the largest regional presidential straw poll of the year. We look forward to your participation in this historic conference as we energize the Grand Old Party and America together! SRLC 2015 Committee