JACKSON (AP) — A Republican state lawmaker has filed to run for Mississippi treasurer.

Sen. Buck Clarke of Hollandale submitted qualifying papers Thursday at the state Republican Party headquarters in Jackson.

The second-term state treasurer, Republican Lynn Fitch, is preparing to run for attorney general.

Clarke has been a certified public accountant since 1979. He was elected to the Mississippi Senate in 2003 and is entering his eighth year as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Republican David McRae, who lives in the Jackson area, has a law license and runs his family’s investment business, said months ago that he is running for treasurer. He unsuccessfully challenged Fitch in the 2015 primary.

Candidates’ deadline for state offices is March 1. Party primaries are in August, and the general election is in November.