Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski Corey R. LewandowskiTrump faces tricky choice on Supreme Court pick How Trump can win reelection: Focus on Democrats, not himself Trump Jr. distances from Bannon group, says he attended 'single' event MORE said Thursday that he is “very close” to making a decision on whether to launch a campaign to challenge Sen. Jeanne Shaheen Cynthia (Jeanne) Jeanne ShaheenSenate Democrats introduce bill to sanction Russians over Taliban bounties Trump-backed candidate wins NH GOP Senate primary to take on Shaheen Democratic senator urges Trump to respond to Russian aggression MORE's (D-N.H.) in 2020.

Lewandowski touted his strong support from President Trump Donald John TrumpFederal prosecutor speaks out, says Barr 'has brought shame' on Justice Dept. Former Pence aide: White House staffers discussed Trump refusing to leave office Progressive group buys domain name of Trump's No. 1 Supreme Court pick MORE, telling Hill.TV that he is not ready to make an announcement quite yet, but would soon.

“With the encouragement from the president, I’ve had a lot of family discussions about it and we’re very close,” Lewandowski said.

Lewandowski said he is still accessing his chances, suggesting he would wait to see how the candidates in the crowded Republican primary fare.

“If they haven’t had the ability to raise significant resources to take on a two-term incumbent Democrat then it’s going to further motivate me to say, ‘I think I can get into this race, I know I can win the Republican primary and I can beat Jeanne Shaheen,'” he said.

The former Trump aide first told The Hill in early August that he was weighing a run against Shaheen, and he already boasts strong support from Trump.

Last month, Trump offered praise for Lewandowski, telling a local New Hampshire radio show that his former campaign manager would make a “great” addition to the Senate. Lewandowski previously served on Trump’s 2016 campaign team, but left during the primary season after an altercation with a female reporter that led to allegations of assault.

Several other Republican candidates, including former state House Speaker Bill O'Brien and retired Brigadier Gen. Donald Bolduc, have already announced campaigns to challenge Shaheen.

Democrats in the state, meanwhile, have started a digital ad campaign characterizing him "biggest swamp creature" in Washington, D.C., something Lewandowski has denied.

New Hampshire is viewed as a key White House and Senate battleground state in 2020. Trump won the historically conservative state in the Republican primary before ultimately losing to Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonBloomberg rolls out M ad buy to boost Biden in Florida Hillicon Valley: Productivity, fatigue, cybersecurity emerge as top concerns amid pandemic | Facebook critics launch alternative oversight board | Google to temporarily bar election ads after polls close Trump pledges to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, designate KKK a terrorist group in pitch to Black voters MORE in the 2016 general election. Shaheen, a two-term senator, received more than 50 percent of the vote in 2008 and 2014.

—Tess Bonn