State Senate candidate Doug Kruse (R-Manchester) has begun laying the cornerstones of his campaign.

Kruse has announced members of his finance committee and has hired Kristy Roney to manage his campaign. Roney was Mitt Romney's field director during the New Hampshire primary.

The finance committee will be chaired by Ben Gamache. Other members include Cliff Hurst, former Manchester GOP Chairman; Ovide Lamontagne, former GOP nominee for Governor; Gordon MacDonald, Romney's state co-chairman; Jim Merrill, former Romney State Director and Managing Director of Devine Strategies; Ray Pinard, former President of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Manchester Alderman; Siobhan Tautkus, former staffer for Governor Stephen E. Merrill and Jerry Thibodeau, former Manchester GOP Chairman.

Kruse is running against freshman state Sen. Betsi DeVries (D-Manchester) in District 18.