Robert Bestani, a Republican economist from Newmarket, has officially formed an exploratory committee to determine whether or not he will run against U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-Rochester) in 2010.

Bestani said that he has formed the Friends of Bob Bestani for Congress exploratory committee because he has the experience to deal with the economic problems facing the country.

"In this era of crisis, it is important that all Americans step up in service to our country. In these next five years, the leading national issues will surely be the creation of new jobs, the economy, finance and financial regulation, energy, the environment, infrastructure and foreign policy," Bestani said in a press release. "I have been privileged to have had a thirty-five year career which has given me high level experience in each of these complex fields. I think I would be remiss if I did not come forward and once again offer to serve our country."

Bestani also said that he would bring the New Hampshire values of "frugality, citizen participation, integrity, independence and limited but effective government" to Congress.

"As someone dedicated to New Hampshire, I hope to be a strong advocate in this endeavor," he said.

Currently a visiting scholar at Stanford University and chairman of the Newmarket Budget and Energy Committees, Bestani has also served as director general of Private Sector Finance at the Asian Development Bank and in the United States Treasury Department under President George H.W. Bush.