BATON ROUGE - In an email statement, Louisiana State Treasurer John Kennedy made it official that he is running for U.S. Senate in 2016.

Kennedy was just sworn in as state treasurer after winning reelection in October 2015 by an overwhelming 80% of the vote.

Kennedy is running for the seat currently held by U.S. Senator David Vitter. Vitter announced he won't seek re-election after

On Monday, Lafayette businessman Joshua Pellerin revealed he has formed an exploratory committee for a possible run. The lone Democrat is the CEO of Pellerin Engergy Group.

John Kennedy released the following statement on Tuesday:
I will be a candidate for the United States Senate in 2016.
 
The reason is pretty simple: I want my country back. I'm scared we are losing it.  
 
My Dad and Mom were conservative people. Dad was a small businessman. He owned a little lumberyard.  Mom was a retired schoolteacher. They taught me conservative values:  God, country, family, discipline, hard work and education.  They taught me to always do the best I can. I worry that America is losing those values.
 
Here's what I see: too many undeserving people at the top getting bailouts and too many undeserving people at the bottom getting handouts.  And we in the middle get the bill.  So will our kids. It's not right.
 
The sad truth is that our children's generation is at risk of becoming the first in America to be worse off than their parents',  because it's harder than ever to get ahead and easier than ever to do nothing.
 
I want more for my country and my state.
 
I want a country that respects taxpayer dollars.  I'm sick of the waste, and I'm sick of the debt.
 
I want an America and a Louisiana where every person can get a decent job.  You can't be for jobs if you are against business.  To create jobs, our businesses need low taxes, sensible regulations, good infrastructure and a skilled workforce.
 
I want an America and a Louisiana in which no parents have to send their child to a failing school.
 
I want an America and a Louisiana where parents can take their sick child to a family doctor instead of to an emergency room because they have decent, affordable insurance of their own choosing from the private sector.
 
I want a country that is strong and therefore free, that values peace but is not afraid to fight back.  America is the most powerful country in the history of the world.  We need to start acting like it.  
 
I want an America and a Louisiana that understand that free market capitalism has done more to lift people out of poverty than all the government programs put together.  Welfare was meant to be a bridge, not a parking lot.
 
I want a country and a state that protect life - whether that life is 82 years old or 82 seconds.
 
 Most Louisianians know me and what I stand for.  As State Treasurer, I've balanced 16 department budgets, earned taxpayers $3.4 billion by investing their money wisely,  returned $315 million in lost money to citizens, refused to join the state retirement system, fought against corruption and cronyism,  and stood up to politicians more powerful than I am in both parties.
 
I try not to be rude, but I speak my mind.  Some politicians call me a troublemaker, a misfit, a rebel, a square peg in a round hole, because I'm not part of the club.  I think I make the right people mad.  My job is to protect taxpayers, not seek the approval of my political peers.
 
I hope voters will give me a chance to do the same thing in the United States Senate.  I believe our country and our state can be better than our present, and our past.
 
May God bless us and keep us, and make his face shine upon us, Louisiana and the United States of America.