NEW HAMPSHIRE: Republican Ovide Lamontagne declared he is running for governor at this morning's Bedford Republican Committee breakfast, NBC’s Jo Ling Kent reports. He is running for the soon to be open seat to be vacated by five-term Democratic Gov. John Lynch. Several Republicans are likely to declare, creating a potentially crowded primary. Yesterday influential New Hampshire conservative Stretch Kennedy said he wishes Lamontagne would go for the Senate instead: "Ovide should be setting his sights on the Senate that Shaheen is holding. I believe he is the man who can do it. Why would we want people brawling with each other?" he said, referring to many interested GOP candidates, at a GOP picnic on Sunday.

TEXAS: "The Justice Department will deliver its opening salvo today in Texas' controversial redistricting case, laying out its initial argument on whether the state's new Congressional map adheres to the Voting Rights Act," Roll Call writes. Earlier this year, Texas Republicans passed a Congressional map that added four new House seats — a result of population growth. But Democrats charge that the map does not accurately reflect the increase in Hispanic voters by creating additional majority-minority districts.