RALEIGH (AP) — Former North Carolina Rep. Mark Walker filed as a candidate for the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, following through on a decision he reaffirmed publicly several weeks ago.

Walker turned in his paperwork to seek the Republican nomination with the State Board of Elections. He’s competing in a May 17 primary field that includes current Rep. Ted Budd and former Gov. Pat McCrory.

Walker, from Guilford County, initially announced his candidacy in December 2020. He’s trailed Budd and McCrory in fundraising in recent months. Budd also won the endorsement of former President Donald Trump in June.

Although Walker’s campaign had said he was offered Trump’s endorsement if he ran for a House seat in central North Carolina, Walker announced in late January his decision to stick with a Senate bid.

“We may not have all the money, but we have the momentum,” Walker said in a news release Wednesday, referencing his perfromance in a debate last weekend with McCrory and Marjorie Eastman, another candidate. “More importantly, we have grassroots supporters across the state that are coming over to our campaign every week and I look forward to representing them in the U.S. Senate.”

Budd and McCrory already filed candidacy papers. The filing deadline is noon Friday.