Former South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds announced his intentions Thursday to run for the Senate seat that's currently held by Democrat Tim Johnson.

The Republican served as governor for eight years and prior to that served as a state senator for a decade. Rounds says for now, though, he'll be working to build a good foundation with constituents across the state.

Rounds says, "But now for the next year or so, we really do the background work. We build our team grassroots style. We'll be out visiting a lot of communities throughout South Dakota. With over 300 communities, it means a lot of coffee pots, a lot of kitchen tables, visiting folks just across the state in a way in which they're comfortable."

Sen. Johnson has yet to announce whether he'll seek re-election or not, but in a statement released Thursday, Johnson says he considers Rounds a friend and welcomes him to the race.  The South Dakota Democratic Party, however, says Rounds has the wrong priorities and cannot deliver for South Dakotans the same way Johnson has over the years.

-Zach Nugent