Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, R, says he is planning to run for governor.
Oxendine, who won election to his current post in 1994, hopes to succeed fellow Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue, who is finishing his second term.
Georgia law prevents governors in the state from serving for more than 2 terms.
Oxendine says his service as insurance commissioner has given him hands-on experience running a significant agency.
Most likely competitors are legislators who have no hands-on experience running a major state agency, Oxendine says.
Both the Georgia Senate and the Georgia Assembly are run by Republicans, but Oxendine says there is enough tension between the chambers that the fact that he is not a legislator could be an advantage.
Oxendine, a powerful fundraiser, says he cannot automatically shift the $90,000 left from his last run for the commissioner's post to a race for the governorship without getting permission from donors. He is forbidden by law from accepting funds from insurers.
Oxendine says he has not filed paperwork yet for a campaign but will do so in the near future.
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