The Union Leader:

The official Republican field for the 2012 governor's election has doubled in size - from one to two.

The Granite Status has learned that former Cornerstone Action executive director Kevin Smith, after thinking long and hard about it, has decided to run for governor.

“I'm in,” Smith said in an interview. “I'm definitely running.”

He has opened a “Kevin Smith for New Hampshire” political action committee and will begin raising money and organizing a leadership committee. KevinSmithforGovernor.com will be online Thursday morning.

Smith, who said he'll wait on a formal announcement until after the presidential primary, joins Republican Ovide Lamontagne and Democrat Maggie Hassan in officially bidding to succeed outgoing Gov. John Lynch.