Republican State Auditor and Inspector Gary Jones is the latest politician to jump into the race for Oklahoma's open governor's seat in 2018.
Jones told The Associated Press on Monday that he will formally launch his campaign in the fall, but that he will be a candidate. Republican Gov. Mary Fallin can't run again because of term limits.
The 62-year-old Jones is a former telecommunications industry executive who also runs a ranching operation in the southwest Oklahoma community of Cache. He also served as a Comanche County commissioner and as chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party for more than six years.
Jones was elected state auditor in 2010 as part of a Republican sweep of statewide offices. Jones is term-limited and can't run for that post again.