Gov. Chris Christie is giving the keynote address at the Republican National Convention.

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus today announced that Christie will deliver the speech in Tampa, Fla. later this month.

"It is an honor to be able to address our party and our nation in just a few short weeks," said Gov. Christie, in a Republican National Convention news release this morning. "The challenges we face as a country are great and require the honesty and boldness of the Romney-Ryan team. We have an opportunity in Tampa to make clear that if we tell each other the hard truths, tackle the big problems, and make bold choices, we will see America's comeback."

Christie, a first-term governor known for his blunt and sometimes acerbic tone, is already a favorite among fiscal conservatives in the party. Some urged him to seek the presidential nomination. He declined and endorsed Romney.

Gov. Christie told USA Today that he has already worked over the speech four different times. Experts believe that the speech will not only launch the governor into the national spotlight, but make him a viable candidate in the 2016 presidential election if Romney comes up short.