Christie was the featured speaker at a McCrory rally Thursday at Catawba College, the former Charlotte mayor's alma mater. More than 200 people attended the event in the lobby of the school's gymnasium in Salisbury. Christie is considered a rising star in the party, delivering the keynote address at the Republican National Convention last month in Tampa, Fla.

 

Christie was elected governor in 2009 and talked to the crowd about turning a budget deficit into a surplus and bringing new jobs to the state.

 

He planned to attend a McCrory fundraiser Thursday evening in Charlotte.