BATON ROUGE - Former state senator and ATC Commissioner, Troy Hebert, announced Thursday his intention to run for the U.S. Senate next fall.

Hebert has served as Alcohol & Tobacco Control Commissioner for the past five years. His joining of the race will add the first non-Republican candidate to the current roster of candidates who have announced their intention to run. Hebert's political affiliation is listed as Democrat-turned-Independent.

Prior to Hebert tossing his hat into the ring, State Treasurer John Kennedy was the most recent addition to the prospects for the 2016 Senate seat. Kennedy was recently elected for his fifth term in his current position, adding to 16 years of experience as an elected official in Louisiana.

Also in the Republican heavy race is Joseph Cao, who ran for Louisiana Attorney General back in 2011. He was a U.S. Representative for the 2nd Congressional District for two years starting in 2009.

Retired Col. Rob Maness made his intent to run for the Senate seat clear toward the end of last year. Maness was a Tea Party candidate during a failed bid in 2014 for the U.S. Senate seat. The same week Maness joined the race, Congressman John Fleming also announced he would run. The North Louisiana Republican has held his seat in the Congress since 2009.

Rounding out the list of candidates gunning for Vitter’s soon-to-be former job and also bearing Tea Party ties, U.S. Representative Charles Boustany Jr. was hinting to donors about a possible Senate run as far back as last summer. The Lafayette native’s intention to run became official last November.