Romney Returns to NH

Mitt Romney will be back in New Hampshire on Tuesday for the first time since winning the first-in-the-nation presidential primary.

Romney will campaign at the Radisson/Center of New Hampshire in Manchester at 8 p.m. in an event called "A Better America Begins Tonight," according to Senior Adviser Jim Merrill.

As Romney has marched around the country collecting delegates, the Obama for America re-election campaign in New Hampshire has coordinated several high-profile stops in the state, including Vice President in Exeter.

Romney, a former Massachusetts governor who has a second home on Lake Winnipesaukee in Wolfeboro, has put several New Hampshire campaign surrogates to work on his behalf. Former New Hampshire Gov. John H. Sununu and U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) have participated in recent campaign events.

On Friday, the Romney campaign announced it raised $12.6 million in primary funds in March, and raised $87 million in primary funds in the last 12 months.

Romney has a slight edge over President Obama in the latest poll by the Rockefeller Center at Dartmouth College. The poll earlier this month had Romney at 43.9 percent to Obama's 42.4 percent, with 13.7 percent undecided. The same question put to likely voters last year had Romney at 47 percent to Obama's 39 percent.

Romney supporters expect their candidate to see more favorable numbers as the bruising GOP primary season is left behind.

The next round of primary voting comes Tuesday, April 24, with contests in Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

Rick Santorum may have suspended his campaign, but Romney is still not without rivals. Ron Paul continues to see large numbers at his campaign stops, and he has a big rally today on the Independence Mall in Philadelphia. And Newt Gingrich "presses ahead amid reports suspending campaign," Fox News reports.

Nevertheless, as Romney's event title Tuesday night makes clear, the leading Republican presidential hopeful is ready to shift gears and focus on the fall.