Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore To Run For President Because Why Not

July 7 (Reuters) - Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore said on Tuesday he would join the crowded race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Gilmore, who briefly sought the 2008 Republican nomination before dropping out, said in an interview with the newspaper that he planned to make the announcement in the first week of August.

Gilmore, 65, served one term as Virginia's governor, from 1998 to 2002, and was the chairman of the Republican National Committee in 2001.

He is also a former U.S. Army intelligence officer and later headed the Gilmore Commission, a congressional panel that advised Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush on domestic capabilities for responding to terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction.

"I bring to the table experience that others don't have," Gilmore told the paper.

The Republican field already has 14 declared candidates, with some prominent figures including Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker yet to enter the race. (Reporting by Eric Beech in Washington; Editing by Sandra Maler)