U.S. Rep. Dr. Ralph Abraham, R-La., whose 5th Congressional District includes Washington Parish, announced Thursday morning that he will run for governor of Louisiana.

“I’m running for governor, and I intend to win,” Abraham said, in a statement released by his office.

Abraham will have a formal campaign launch after the first of the year.

Abraham is a conservative Republican and has served in Congress since 2015 as the U.S. Representative for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District. It is the largest district in terms of area in the state and includes 24 parishes in north, central and southeast Louisiana.

He is a member of the Armed Services Committee and has helped secure funding and resources for Louisiana’s military installations at Fort Polk, Barksdale Air Force Base and the Naval Air Station in Belle Chasse. He is also Louisiana’s only representative on the Agriculture Committee, and he has served on the Science, Space and Technology Committee and the Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

Before joining Congress, Abraham worked as a general family doctor in rural Richland Parish. He is also a veterinarian, veteran, farmer, and business owner.

Abraham also volunteers extensively as a pilot for the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the Civil Air Patrol and the Pilots for Patients not-for-profit organization.

He and his wife, Dianne, have been married for 43 years. They have three grown children and nine grandchildren. They are members of Alto Baptist Church.