Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey and former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida plunged into all-out battle this weekend for the biggest unclaimed prize in American politics and the decisive advantage that could go with it: the billion-dollar donor network once harnessed by Mitt Romney.
In hundreds of phone calls that began even before Mr. Romney formally announced on Friday that he was forgoing a third bid for the presidency, allies of Mr. Christie and Mr. Bush began putting intense pressure on Mr. Romney’s supporters to pick a side. And now donors have nowhere to hide, since virtually every contender for the Republican nomination has established a leadership PAC or other fund-raising vehicle in recent weeks, and the candidates are leaning on them to make a commitment.
The next 48 hours, several donors said, could not only answer the question of whether Mr. Bush will face a serious challenge from Mr. Christie for the Republican Party’s establishment mantle. It may also demonstrate whether there is room left for anyone else in the first tier of Republican candidates. “I’ve already had three phone calls from various camps asking me to have them over to talk,” said John Rakolta Jr., a Michigan construction executive and a leading Romney fund-raiser. “I’ve told them I need a weekend to process this all.”
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“We’re going with Chris,” Ms. Kilberg said. “But I think all the candidates are going to burn the phones up. Everyone’s going to say, ‘I have the chance of getting the support of some of these Romney people.’”
Jonathan Martin and Michael Barbaro contributed reporting.
