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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will run for reelection in 2013, a GOP source confirms. The Associated Press first reported that the Republican was filing papers to run for reelection Monday.

Christie was widely expected to seek a second term in office, and has gotten a bump from his handling of Hurricane Sandy (though he has taken significant heat from Republicans for his embrace of President Obama after the storm, it doesn't hurt in blue New Jersey): A Rutgers-Eagleton poll released last week showed 69 percent thought Christie handled the crisis "very well," with another 23 percent saying he handled it "pretty well."

He also got high marks for his work with the president, with 81 percent saying the two showed "needed cooperation and bipartisanship." The poll also found the governor's favorability at a comfortable 67 percent among registered voters.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker is considered the most formidable potential Democratic challenger to Christie. He recently said that his focus on Hurricane Sandy pushed back his timeline for deciding on a run, and is expected to make the decision in mid-December. No other Democrats have announced bids yet.

Christie has frequently been mentioned as a potential presidential contender in 2016, and served as a surrogate for Mitt Romney's campaign this fall, even keynoting the Republican National Convention.