MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has announced she is running for governor in 2018.
Ivey made the announcement in a statement on Thursday.
Ivey, who had been lieutenant governor, became the state's governor in April when then-Gov. Robert Bentley resigned amid a scandal.
The Republican governor, using a phrase she has employed since her sudden inauguration, said she was proud to have "steadied the ship." She said now it is time to steer it to "progress and prosperity."
The announcement was not a surprise since Ivey had already raised $1 million for a campaign.
Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, Jefferson County Commissioner David Carrington, state Sen. Bill Hightower and corrections officer Stacy George have also announced bids for governor.
Former Alabama Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb is running as a Democrat.