New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie Thinks He Could 'Certainly' Win Iowa

DES MOINES, Iowa — -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie thinks he could “certainly” win Iowa in 2016.

Christie spoke exclusively with ABC News following his speech at the Iowa Freedom Summit, the first major event of the year to bring together a dozen potential presidential candidates in Iowa. Christie has made six trips to the Hawkeye State since 2014.

“I don’t know why they keep inviting me back if I can’t win here,” Christie told ABC News. "I certainly think I could.”

As he prepares for a possible 2016 run, Christie has already tapped political operatives in the state, including Phil Valenziano, who served as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s Iowa field director ahead of the 2012 caucuses.

Christie also traveled to Iowa last week for the inauguration of Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad.

“I’m being deliberative about it and I’m not going to let anybody else rush me,” he said. “We’ll make it sometime soon, but everybody defines soon differently right?”