Sources: NJ Gov. Chris Christie To Announce Presidential Run Next Week

NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will announce next week that he is running for president in 2016, CBS2 has confirmed.

Christie will make an official announcement Tuesday at his old high school, two people familiar with his plans told The Associated Press. Two sources also confirmed the information to CBS2's Christine Sloan.

But Christie said during his monthly "Ask the Governor" radio program Thursday night that he has "absolutely" not made a final decision, and said there are "lots of people who speculate lots of things," according to a CNN report.

Some New Jersey teachers feel the presidential run is a slap in the face, WCBS 880's Peter Haskell reported.

"I was a little surprised that he picked a high school, particularly a public high school, to make the announcement after he's been basically attacking the high schools and the teachers since he started running for office," said one teacher.

Listen to NJ Gov. Chris Christie To Announce Presidential Run Next Week

But Kenneth Merbur thinks it's a nice touch.

"Livingston has great pride in our community, our schools, our town, our people," Merbur said.

The Republican governor has been laying the groundwork for months. Christie considered a bid in 2012 before deciding to pass on a campaign.

He joins a field of more than a dozen major candidates for the GOP nomination. Once considered an early front-runner, Christie has yet to build momentum in the early days of the race.

Christie is likely to be one of four current governors in the 2016 race, joining Louisiana's Bobby Jindal, who announced his candidacy this week, and expected candidates Scott Walker of Wisconsin and John Kasich of Ohio.

The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to pre-empt Christie's formal announcement.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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