At long last, Chris Christie's campaign is showing a pulse.

There are signs of life in New Hampshire, where the latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll puts him in the middle of the pack. In Iowa, where expectations were never high for the New Jersey governor, Christie recently announced endorsements from top members of Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad's political network. His favorability ratings are also on the rebound after a steady slide.

The current frontrunners don't exactly need to look over their shoulders, but for the first time in months the makings of Christie's path to contention are beginning to take shape.

"The clouds that hung over the governor have been removed," said Gary Kirke, a prominent Iowa businessman who, along with several other Branstad allies, huddled with Christie in late August to discuss his candidacy. "This encounter renewed our enthusiasm for Governor Christie."

Scott Walker’s exit from the presidential race has helped. The Wisconsin governor’s departure has created more breathing room for an establishment-oriented governor like Christie, especially in Iowa where Walker was strongest. A solid performance in the second GOP debate has also advanced Christie’s cause – his super PAC has raised $3 million since the last debate, according to a super PAC official, and he has won over some Walker donors.

While New Hampshire remains central to Christie's fortunes, Iowa could end up playing a catalytic role for his campaign. Not even his most resolute allies argue that he has a prayer of winning the caucuses: At the moment, Christie is barely registering in the polls there. But the backing of prominent Branstad allies – including Bruce Rastetter, an influential GOP donor who hosted one of the first high-profile GOP presidential cattle calls of the year – has sent a signal across the state that Christie shouldn’t be written off just yet. Not long after Rastetter’s endorsement, Christie unveiled a broader Iowa leadership team that included 30 names, including Iowa state House Speaker Kraig Paulsen and Adrianne Branstad, daughter in law of the governor.

Christie had already secured the support of Phil Valenziano, the political director for Branstad’s 2014 campaign, who serves as Christie's Iowa director and helped run Christie's leadership PAC prior to his official presidential announcement.

"The machine is built. It’s just a matter of putting gas in it," said a senior Iowa Republican unaffiliated with any presidential campaign. "From that standpoint, if there is a Christie second act or if all of a sudden Christie gets a wind at his back, they will have an organization."

But that Iowa operative pointed to the Bush organization as “probably the strongest on the ground now” and said Christie needs to show a greater commitment to campaigning in the state than he has so far.

The campaign’s thinking is that, in an election where multiple tickets will be punched out of Iowa because of the size of the field, a fourth or fifth place finish could catapult Christie to the top tier as he heads to all-important New Hampshire, where he has already logged dozens of stops since announcing his candidacy in June. Key to his strategy is a finish within striking distance of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, like-minded candidates who also have much riding on New Hampshire.

“I don’t think we need to win to use Iowa as a springboard," said Jeff Boeyink, a longtime Branstad aide who is advising Christie in Iowa. "I think we have to compete effectively.”

Boeyink said the burst of endorsements from Team Branstad aren’t enough to singlehandedly reverse Christie's fortunes. But he calls them "legitimizers" -- big names in Iowa GOP circles who have reinserted Christie into the conversation after his campaign had been left for dead.

The New Jersey governor’s schedule is already reflecting the new Iowa influence. He’s got two visits on the calendar in the next two weeks; he’s one of four confirmed candidates scheduled to attend an Oct. 30 GOP rally in conservative northwest Iowa. Aides say the campaign plans to add to the four-person paid staff in the state.

Christie is also making a concerted effort to win over former Walker supporters. Last week, he courted Connie and Kim Schmett, a married couple who served on Walker’s Iowa leadership team. The outreach began with a phone call to Connie Schmett, who at first thought the call from Christie was a prank. When she realized it was him, she advised him to “be yourself” on the campaign trail.

Christie followed up by arranging a 45-minute sit-down with the couple at his hotel, the Des Moines Marriott, where he was accompanied by his wife, Mary Pat. While the Christies made a positive impression, it still wasn’t enough to win over the Schmetts’ endorsement.

Only after Christie’s staff followed up yet again – and insisted that the governor himself had been asking about her – did Schmett relent and offer her support. Though Christie has his baggage, Schmett explained, so do all the other candidates.

“I don’t think you can pick somebody who’s going to be squeaky clean. It’s how you handle those mistakes,” she said, referring to the Bridgegate scandal. “Governor Christie’s proven that he can stand up to his errors and move forward and put it past him.”

Bobbie Kilberg, a GOP megadonor backing Christie, believes Christie is beginning to get traction.

"You will see a growing, steady momentum increase over time, and that’s what you want in a candidate," she said. "Steady progress -- you don’t have to be flashy about it."

Kilberg said donors have bought into his promise for an under-the-radar rise. After Christie's trip to Iowa last week, she said, he intended to fly to Virginia for a fundraiser that she was hosting for him. But his flight was delayed in Chicago by weather and he missed the event.

None of the 100 donors asked for their money back, Kilberg said.

"That’s never happened to me before," she said, adding that the in-person fundraiser was rescheduled to Oct. 14.