Hulshof said the President told him his own years as governor of Texas were some of the best for his family.

Hulshof said he knows he's facing a tough road, but he is ready for the challenges. He said he respects his candidates and believes Missourians want to see a positive race.

"They want to hear about the issues," Hulshof said. "They don't want to hear about superfluous or irrelevant matters. We hope that is the way the campaign will be run."

Congressman Hulshof is the third Republican candidate to announce he is running for governor, following Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder and Treasurer Sarah Steelman. The only Democrat in the race so far is Jay Nixon.