Sen. David Vitter running for Louisiana governor

Sen. David Vitter, R-La., has announced he will run for governor in 2015 when current Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal’s term has expired.

“I believe that as our next Governor, I can have a bigger impact addressing the unique challenges and opportunities we face in Louisiana,” Vitter wrote in an email obtained by the Associated Press. He pledged it would be his “last political job” if he won, and that he would focus on education, the budget, tax and spending reform and government accountability.

Vitter has a reputation for being an ardent conservative and one of the most prominent Republican critics of Obamacare. During the 16-day government shutdown in October, his oft-proposed amendment to end subsidies for Congressional staffers to help pay for their health insurance became one of the chief demands from House Republicans.