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Mitt Romney to hold political summit in Park City

Posted at 9:20 PM, May 31, 2013
and last updated 2013-06-01 00:59:07-04

PARK CITY, Utah - Former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney will host a summit in Park City next week, the first political event he's organized since losing the 2012 Presidential Election.

Romney's "Experts and Enthusiasts" summit will have no media coverage, and while he isn't running again, there is a clear focus on 2016 for others.

At the top of Romney's list of speakers is Paul Ryan, his runningmate in 2012.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who campaigned for Romney and enjoys high approval ratings, will address the private gathering, along with Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who is already regularly visiting early test states like New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina, will be at the summit.

The latest Quinnipiac Poll of potential 2016 match-ups shows Paul leading Vice President Joe Biden 43 to 39, which is within the margin of error.

That same poll has Paul trailing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by a margin of 8 points in a hypothetical race. Clinton remains a clear overall frontrunner.

Prominent Democrats are also among the attendees. Former senior Obama campaign adviser David Alexrod will be there, and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa have agreed to speak.

Democrat Erskine Bowles and former GOP Senator Alan Simpson - the co-chairs of Obama's debt commission - and a number of national business leaders and innovators are expected to attend.

Participants will pay $5,000 for the four-day retreat. Activities will include skeet shooting with Paul Ryan, golf with Rand Paul and horseback riding with the Romneys.