It's official: John Newsome will no longer be running unopposed for district attorney later this year. Dan May declared his candidacy Friday for the 4th Judicial District. May is a fellow Republican who Newsome defeated in the 2004 election.

May who made his announcement at Colorado College said it wasn’t something he had planned on doing. He said when reports surfaced a couple weeks ago that Newsome had been caught on tape drinking and then driving he started getting calls from people in the community asking him to run.

"Quite frankly I've been drafted here today to announce that I am going to run for district attorney," May said.

He said he made the announcement reluctantly.

"I don't want to be here, but I feel I need to be here because there are important issues to debate," May said.

Issues that May said have to do with public trust.

"I am as a citizen concerned about public perception, I know what it can do if people think there is a double standard," May said.

May said he’s also concerned about morale at the DA's office, the budget and the rising murder rate in El Paso County. They are concerns that at least two former district attorneys who once worked under Newsome also share.

"The DA's office is in need of a change at the top," said Will Bain, former DA.

But May still needs 1,000 signatures on a petition to even get his name on the ballot and he has to do it in only two weeks. He said it'll now be up to the community to decide who they want in office.

11 News spoke with John Newsome. He said he and Dan May have always disagreed on a lot of issues despite the fact that they are both Republicans.

Newsome also said he's not surprised May has decided to run against him.