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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie established a political action committee Monday, in his first step toward launching a campaign for the 2016 presidential election. The PAC, known as Leadership Matters for America, enables Christie to hire staffers and create the foundations of a campaign. The announcement was expected as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said in December that he planned to create a similar organization in the race for the 2016 presidential bid. The PAC’s staffers include former Christie aide Matt Mowers, who is resigning from his role as executive director of the New Hampshire Republican Party at the end of the month. Christie’s chief political adviser Mike DuHaime told The Wall Street Journal, “We’re certainly confident on the fundraising side that there is more than enough support for this PAC.”