Mitt Romney Opens His New Hampshire Home to Chris Christie

As he campaigns across New Hampshire in his uphill battle to win the Republican presidential nomination this weekend, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is assured of at least one night of deluxe accommodations.

Speaking to reporters today in Derry, New Hampshire, Christie told reporters that he, his wife, Mary Pat Christie, and two of the couple's children, will be bunking tonight with Mitt and Ann Romney.

The Romneys own a $10 million vacation home in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, which happens to be where Christie is set to march in a local July Fourth parade. 

The meeting at a home near New Hampshire's Lake Winnipisaukee will reunite two politicians with considerable professional and personal history.

In 2009, Romney was an early supporter of Christie in his race for governor. Three years later, Christie returned the favor, vigorously backing Romney in his unsuccessful challenge to President Barack Obama.

Romney opted not to make a 2016 run despite early indications he flirted with the notion. Nevertheless, he's remained an in-demand Republican surrogate and fundraiser, and his support is coveted by many in a field that swelled to 14 people Tuesday when Christie jumped in.

In an interview with Bloomberg's Mark Halperin last month, Romney named six Republican candidates whom he could support, and spoke of Christie with special warmth.

"Some people count him out, but not me," Romney said, referring to Christie's drop in the polls following a spate of negative publicity over his state's budget problems and his advisers' politically-motivated decision to manufacture a traffic jam outside a Democratic-controlled town.

"We like the comeback story," Romney added.

On a Derry sidewalk outside MaryAnn's diner, where he had been greeting breakfast patrons, Christie declined to say what he's expecting to the discussion topics to be. "Whatever he wants to talk about," Christie, 52, told reporters of his host.. "I'm confident there will be some politics discussed tonight, but there will be lots of other things talked about too."

One of the other Republican contenders on Romney's list of favorites will also be marching in the Wolfeboro town parade on July Fourth: Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida.