9:03 p.m. | Updated DES MOINES – Former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts intends to formally declare his bid for the Republican presidential nomination next week in New Hampshire.
Mr. Romney, who formed an exploratory campaign last month and has been aggressively raising money across the country, will make his announcement next Thursday at the Bittersweet Farm in Stratham, N.H., a campaign spokeswoman said. The site underscores the importance that New Hampshire, which holds the first primary of the 2012 campaign, will play in his strategy.
Mr. Romney, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination for the second time, is also competing in other states. He is making his first visit on Friday to Iowa, whose caucuses open the nominating contest early next year.
Mr. Romney, 64, is seeking to shape his presidential campaign around themes of building the economy and restoring jobs. He argues that his business background makes him the strongest nominee to take on President Obama in the general election next year.
Yet before he can challenge Mr. Obama, Mr. Romney must navigate the politics of the Republican nominating contest. He has been sharply criticized by many influential voices in the party over the health care plan he signed into law as governor of Massachusetts, which many Republicans believe looks distressingly similar to the federal law signed last year by Mr. Obama.
In his second bid for the Republican nomination, Mr. Romney is taking a different approach, adopting a low-key style steeped in discipline. He has held only a handful of public events in recent months.
Mr. Romney did not attend the first Republican debate earlier this month in South Carolina. But party officials expect him to be on stage for the second debate on June 13 in New Hampshire.