Democrat Barack Obama has filed as a candidate in the New Hampshire Primary.
After making his candidacy official, the Illinois senator told reporters that despite trailing in the polls he's exceeding his own expectations.
At a rally on the statehouse lawn, he told loyalists that he's the Democrat most deserving of the public trust.
"The next president can't just be driven by polls. The next president has to lead. They have to be willing to stand up even when it's difficult to stand up. They've got to be able to tell the truth even when it's hard to tell the truth."
Obama has trailed New York Senator Hillary Clinton by as much as 21 points in recent polls, a margin that's grown since the summer.
Republicans Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Ron Paul are slated to file their candidacies here tomorrow.
