SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (Legal Newsline)-Former Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan says he will today file candidacy petitions to run for the Republican gubernatorial nomination next year.

In a statement issued Sunday, Ryan said he will announce his candidacy Tuesday. Today is the last day of filing for candidates in state and federal primaries in Illinois.

The Elmhurst Republican formed an exploratory committee earlier this month, allowing him to raise money for a potential race for the Feb. 2 Republican primary.

In 2002, Ryan was the Republican nominee for governor. He lost to Democrat Rod Blagojevich, who resigned this year in disgrace.

Ryan, a two-term attorney general, joins an already crowded GOP field, which includes state Sens. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale and Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington, DuPage County Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom, Chicago businessman and former Illinois Republican Chairman Andy McKenna and pundit Dan Proft, both of Chicago.

On the Democratic side, Gov. Pat Quinn faces a primary challenge from Comptroller Dan Hynes.

A poll released earlier by the Ryan campaign indicates that Ryan has 33 percent support for the Republican primary, in a race where 30 percent of GOP voters were still undecided.

In second was Brady with 11 percent support. The other candidates polled with single digit support.

The poll was conducted Sept. 28-Oct. 1. The poll of 500 primary election voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.