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Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin says he’s running for Arkansas governor

August 5, 2019 GMT

FILE - In this Jan. 16, 2015, file photo, Arkansas Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin is interviewed in his office at the Arkansas state Capitol in Little Rock, Ark. Griffin says he's running for governor in 2022, the first candidate to announce a bid for the state's top office. The Republican on Monday, Aug. 5, 2019 confirmed that he's seeking his party's nomination for governor. Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson is prohibited by term limits from running again. Griffin is serving his second term as lieutenant governor. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston, File)

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin says he’s running for governor in 2022, the first candidate to announce a bid for the state’s top office.

The Republican confirmed Monday that he’s seeking his party’s nomination for governor and says he’ll discuss his candidacy in more detail later. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette first reported Griffin’s decision in a story published Saturday.

Griffin faces a potentially crowded Republican primary that could also include former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Other potential GOP candidates include state Attorney General Leslie Rutledge and Senate President Jim Hendren.

Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson is prohibited by term limits from running again. Griffin is serving his second term as lieutenant governor.

Griffin is a former congressman who worked in the White House under former President George W. Bush.