Texas Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones (R) announced Monday that Republican former Rep. Henry Bonilla has endorsed her bid to replace GOP Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who is running for governor and said she plans to step down from her Senate seat next year.

“Elizabeth Ames Jones is the conservative leader Texas needs in Washington,” said Bonilla, a seven-term congressman who hails from San Antonio. “During my time in Congress, I was able to get to know what Elizabeth is truly made of. … She has the know-how and determination to tackle the critical issues facing our country head-on, to be an effective leader, and to represent Texas with distinction.”

Ames Jones, who was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry (R) to the Texas Railroad Commission in 2005, is one of a slew of candidates who have been campaigning for months and raising millions of dollars with the expectation that Hutchison’s Senate seat will be vacant.

Other Republican candidates include fellow state railroad commissioners Michael Williams; Roger Williams, a former Texas secretary of state; state Sen. Florence Shapiro; and Andrew “Cas” Castanuela, an Air Force veteran. Democrat John Sharp, a former state comptroller, is also running.