Governor Chris Christie.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced today that he had decided not to seek the Republican nomination for president in 2012.

Christie who has come under pressure in recent weeks to reconsider his refusal to jump into the race, said at the jammed Statehouse news conference, “I’ve been adamant about the fact that I would not run for President, now is not my time.”

The first-term governor, who rose to prominence in some conservative circles for his ‘don’t-mess-with-me attitude’ after taking on the powerful teachers union, added “New Jersey, whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with me.”