Republican state Rep. Rod Roberts of Carroll has scheduled a press conference next week at the state Capitol to announce whether he will run for his party’s gubernatorial nomination, James Lynch of the Cedar Rapids Gazette reports.

State Rep. Rod Roberts, R-CarrollRoberts has hinted for months that he is interested in running for governor, telling reporters he planned to form a campaign committee “soon.” From his interview with Lynch, it appears the four-term legislator is ready to throw his hat in the ring.

Roberts, who has been exploring the race for Terrace Hill since winter, says he has received an encouraging response from Republicans.

“I’ll just say that early on, with my travels and speaking with people, there’s has been a very favorable response,” Roberts said this morning.

Roberts said his candidacy will focus on being a leader for the entire state, not just for the Republican Party of Iowa, stressing the need to reach beyond his party’s base in order to defeat incumbent Gov. Chet Culver.

In entering the race, Roberts joins two-time gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats, former House Speaker Chris Rants, Senate Minority Leader Paul McKinley and Cedar Rapids businessman Christian Fong.