Republican Allen West, a former Florida congressman and Fox News contributor, will challenge Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in 2022.

West, a staunch supporter of Donald Trump, resigned on June 4 as Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, prompting speculation that he might challenge Abbott, who has been in office since 2015.

West declared his candidacy on Sunday at an appearance at the Sojurn Church in Calhoun, Texas. He has said the “porous” southern border is one of the main reasons why he’s running.

“I can no longer sit on the sidelines and see what has happened to these United States of America,” West said in a launch video shown at the church.

“I am not running against anybody, I’m running for Texas,” West told The Texan.

In 2010, West was elected to Congress in Florida as part of the Tea Party wave but only served one term. He was a favorite of House conservatives and was able to garner two votes for speaker. He considered challenging Marco Rubio for his Senate seat in 2016. In 2020, he relocated to Texas to become the state’s GOP chairman.

West has a tough road ahead of him as he seeks a primary win over Abbott, who has already raised $40 million for his reelection campaign.

West is also a controversial figure. In December 2016, West's official website issued an apology after his Facebook page shared a meme that said retired Gen. James Mattis would “exterminate” Muslims as Trump's defense secretary. He also seemed to espouse QAnon talking points.

West’s candidacy makes him the second primary challenger to Abbott with the other being former state Sen. Don Huffines.