The now former mayor of Dalton has officially entered the race for Georgia’s next governor.

David Pennington qualified for the Republican nomination challenging Gov. Nathan Deal.

“We gave Gov. Deal three years to prove that he was a limited government conservative,” he tells WSB’s Sandra Parrish.

Pennington says he plans to get the Georgia economy moving again and improve education by giving control back to local school boards, teachers, and communities.

He is challenging Deal to a debate on those issues before the May 20 primary.

State School Superintendent John Barge is expected to also qualify for the Republican nomination for governor on Thursday.

Deal was the first to qualify for re-election on Monday