State Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald on Tuesday made official his bid for the Republican nomination for the seat of retiring Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.).

“Any candidate can promise to change a system, to balance a budget, or to enact a pro-growth, job creating agenda,” Fitzgerald said in a release. “Few can actually say they’ve done it and none so dramatically or recently as we did in Wisconsin.”

Fellow Republican candidate and former Gov. Tommy Thompson quickly responded to his primary rival in a statement.

“We certainly respect Speaker Fitzgerald’s accomplishments in the state Legislature, and I welcome him to the race for Senate,” he said. “I believe I’m best candidate to deliver this much needed victory for Republicans and chart a new course for prosperity for the people of Wisconsin and America.”