The Hill News

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) announced during Monday evening's presidential debate that she'd filed paperwork to run for president.

Bachmann, the conservative congresswoman with ties to the Tea Party movement, said during her first answer during the Republican debate in New Hampshire that she filed paperwork to set up a campaign for president.

The announcement is somewhat of a move to keep the spotlight on her announcement, and less on the other candidates in the race.

The Minnesota lawmaker had made rumblings to suggest that she would announce during a trip to Iowa, but instead chose to do it in New Hampshire, the first-in-the-nation primary state.

Bachmann has some campaign infrastructure in place; her chief of staff stepped down earlier this month to take a role with the campaign, and Ed Rollins, a veteran GOP strategist who'd served in the past as a strategist for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R), has also signe! d on to help Bachmann.