BATON ROUGE - A Louisiana state lawmaker says she's dropping out of the state treasurer's race because she's been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Rep. Julie Stokes, a Jefferson Parish Republican, announced her decision and her diagnosis Thursday with a statement posted to her campaign website.

Stokes says she'll have at least five months of chemotherapy treatment. She said: "So, instead of running for state treasurer to help get our state's fiscal house in order, I will focus on fighting and winning my battle against cancer and spending quality time with my loving family." 

The state lawmaker says she is not resigning her legislative seat and expects to be energized and focused for next year's legislative session.

The sign-up period for the treasurer's race on the Oct. 14 ballot is next week.