(CNN) - Lincoln Chafee Monday will formally announce his bid for Rhode Island governor Monday.
The former Republican senator-turned-independent will officially jump into the race at an event in Warwick, where he once served as mayor.
The 56 year old Chafee lost his U.S. senate seat in 2006 to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse after a bitter Republican primary battle against Stephen Laffey. Chafee eventually left the GOP and is now an independent.
Two-term Rhode Island Governor Don Carcieri is prevented by term limits from seeking re-election this year.
"I believe that running as an independent will free me from the constraints that party politics impose on candidates," Chafee said when announcing his candidacy. "This freedom will allow me to bring in the best people from both major parties and people without political ties to solve our problems. The standard for govermment service in these trying times must be what you can do for our state, not who you know in politics."
(Updated at 1:15 p.m. with additional information)
CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn
From CNN Politics
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I would like to see Chafee win. He is truly a moderate and would be better than the liberal the Democrats will nominate.
Term Limits works folks, we need to have a Constitutional amendment done applying a 'Two term limit' only rule for our politicians in Washington
The boat of Independents is going to be overloaded...everyone is jumping ship from the Repubs and Dems......wonder if there is a canoe with the Liberterians trying to get ahead.....
term limits...term limits...
As an independent, he does not have to spew the right wingnut message of hate, or sign the 10 communist principles of the republican party.
I hope more Independents will be running for an office. Partisan politics has done enough damage to our country.
How about two terms on and two terms off for the Senate and three terms on and three terms off for the House? We have to cut the umbilical cord between special interests and Congress if we want a functioning democracy.