-- Gov.

is set to officially announce he's running for president in 2016.

Christie, the 55th governor of the state, will formally launch his campaign for the Republican Party's nomination at an 11 a.m. kickoff at Livingston High School, his alma mater, on Tuesday, a source close to the campaign told NJ Advance Media.

The news of his long-anticipated announcement was first reported Thursday morning by WNYC, which cited unnamed sources familiar with his plans.

Christie spokespeople did not immediately confirm the story.

UPDATE: Christie: 'Absolutely no final decision' on presidential run

The governor Christie will launch his candidacy at the school where he served as class president for three years prior to graduating 35 years ago this month.

A spokeswoman for the Livingston school district declined comment but said she expected to have more information in a few hours.

Christie, born in Newark and raised in Livingston, hopes to be the first New Jerseyan since Woodrow Wilson to occupy the White House. He's launching a nationwide campaign after considering a run in 2012.

He was first elected to office in Democratic-leaning New Jersey in 2009 when he ousted a wealthy Democratic incumbent, building a reputation in the state as a no-nonsense corruption-busting U.S. attorney.

Bumptious, bombastic and unapologetic, Christie quickly made a name for himself in New Jersey and beyond for his tough fiscal policies and in-your-face style of governing.

MORE: How a call to a principal opened a door for Christie's big announcement

His second term in office immediately put in motion a plan to run for national office, including traveling the country as chairman of the Republican Governors Association.

But Christie, who was once positioned as the clear frontrunner in the GOP presidential contest, took a serious blow when documents surfaced early in his second term that indicated a former top aide told a Port Authority official is was "time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee."

The resulting bridge scandal picked away at Christie's image and left a battered governor struggling to hold on to his footing on the national stage.

But as he's toured the country and worked to rebuild his image, Christie has told people candidly, he doesn't share his same mindset he had when he was weighing whether to run for president in 2012, when he said he wasn't prepared to mount a national campaign.

"I'm ready now," he has said.

MORE CHRIS CHRISTIE

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or on Facebook. Follow NJ.com Politics on Facebook.