Dole spoke at a Lenoir County GOP dinner Friday night, the first of a series of meetings with Republican groups and fundraising events she has planned for the coming weeks.

"I want to tell you tonight I am going to run for re-election to the United States Senate," Dole said, prompting a standing ovation from 250 people attending a Lincoln/Reagan Day barbecue dinner at Southwood Memorial Christian Church. "I am going to need your help as we rev up the campaign for 2008."

Dole has been the subject of rumors over the past year suggesting that, at age 70, she may not seek a second term. The rumors have been fed by a slow start in organizing her re-election effort.

Dole said she does not have to be reminded that this is a difficult time for Republicans, having spent the past two years as chairwoman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee when the GOP lost control of the Senate. She called it "the worst political environment in memory."

But Dole said she supports President Bush and the war effort in Iraq, including the troop buildup, even if it is not politically popular.

Showing no signs of recent hip replacement surgery, she performed her patented "Dole stroll," walking between the tables rather than speaking from behind the lectern, and taking questions from the audience.

If Friday night is any indication, Dole plans to run as a senator who has delivered for the state. She held up the "Dole Plan" campaign document from the 2002 campaign, saying she had worked to deliver on her promises. She talked about the billions of dollars that will be available to North Carolinians because of her efforts to push through Congress a buyout of the federal tobacco program. Dole noted that North Carolina's military installations survived the base closings and added 4,000 jobs at Fort Bragg.

Dole said she took risky stands during her 2002 Senate campaign, including support for partial privatization of Social Security, because she thought it was right.

Dole entered the Senate as one of the nation's best-known political figures -- former president of the American Red Cross, two-time Cabinet secretary, former presidential candidate and wife of a presidential nominee. In 2002, Dole easily defeated Democrat Erskine Bowles, now president of the University of North Carolina.

"As an incumbent, she certainly has an advantage," said Kerry Haynie, a Duke University political scientist. "But she is weakened because the political landscape has changed as a result of the last election. We are still in the middle of a war. It's seen as a Republican war. It's seen as negative war as far as the public is concerned."

Since last fall, there have been persistent rumors about Dole's interest in another term. They were fueled by her absence from North Carolina while she campaigned nationally for Republican candidates or attended to her Senate duties. She has been slow to organize her campaign and hire a staff. And she had raised only $245,016 in campaign funds by the end of last year -- a small amount for an incumbent.

Mark Stephens, a Dole strategist, said Dole took some time to recover from the grueling campaign. In December, she underwent hip replacement surgery. Stephens noted that Dole had recently hired Jonathan Brooks to be her finance chairman.

The Democrats have been having a difficult time recruiting a candidate. Jerry Meek, the state Democratic chairman, even put out a message on a liberal blog asking for suggestions.

Meek said her absence from the state has damaged her politically.

"I'm delighted she has decided to come back and campaign," Meek said. "It's appropriate for our senator to spend a little time here in North Carolina."

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