SPRINGFIELD, Mo.—Mike Hamra, a Springfield business owner and restaurant operator, has officially announced he’s running for Missouri governor Thursday morning. 

Spectrum News reported earlier this month that Hamra, a Democrat, had filed paperwork with the Missouri Ethics Commission but was still considering entering the race.

In a campaign launch video, Hamra said:

“I’m running for Governor because our political leaders in Jefferson City seem out of ideas, with partisan food fights, ideological warfare, and a rush to score points, instead of serving the people who elected them. It’s time we change things.”

Hamra’s campaign says it will focus on delivering for the people of Missouri by strengthening the workforce, helping small businesses grow, lowering the cost of raising a family and restoring the right for women to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions among others.

Hamra will face State Rep. Crystal Quade, the Minority Floor Leader, also from Springfield, in the Democratic primary. Quade has support among elected Democrats in the General Assembly, organized labor and former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander, among othe.

Earlier this month, Quade voiced confidence she could consolidate support and avoid a serious primary challenge but that if one emerged, she said it would stand in contrast to a heated GOP primary that features Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and State Sen. Bill Eigel.

Hamra is the CEO of his company’s business Hamra Enterprises in Springfield. The company employs nearly 2,000 Missourians and more than 7,4000 people nationwide, according to his campaign. 

Earlier in his career, President Bill Clinton appointed Hamra to help his administration connect schools, libraries and healthcare organizations across America.