Christie to return to New Hampshire

Gov. Christie will return to New Hampshire next month, joining other prospective Republican 2016 candidates – and at least one confirmed – at a "leadership summit" in the state that hosts the first-in-the-nation presidential primary.

Christie on Tuesday confirmed his attendance at the April 17-18 event, said a spokesman for the New Hampshire Republican State Committee.

It marks Christie's second announced trip to New Hampshire this year, after speaking at a Republican event there in February. The April event is expected to feature more than two dozen speakers, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

"We take seriously our job as vetting these candidates," said Michael Zona of the New Hampshire GOP. "We just wanted to see if we could get as many as possible here."

Christie may not be a declared candidate by mid-April. The governor – who has been raising money for a political action committee, with events scheduled in Philadelphia tonight and in Houston Thursday – said this week that he would decide on a campaign in the next three months.

More of his rivals may make it official before then. On Monday, Cruz became the first major candidate to announce a presidential campaign.