Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler has announced an exploratory campaign to “test the waters” for a potential 2020 United States Senate seat occupied by Sen. Doug Jones (D-Mountain Brook).

In a press release, Zeigler says the exploratory campaign “will gauge support and ability to raise the funds to get our message out.”

Zeigler said he plans to tell people in his exploratory campaign that “the federal government must cut out waste and mismanagement.

“Our national debt now exceeds $21 trillion dollars – and growing,” said Zeigler. “No one is standing firm to rein in spending, balance the budget, and start gradually paying down the national debt.”

Zeigler also insisted he can play watchman in Washington D.C.

“I can play a similar role of watchman in Washington,” Zeigler declared. “While Alabama government can waste millions, the federal government can waste billions.”

He added, “There is not a Jim Zeigler-type in the U.S. Senate – there is not a watchman against waste. We badly need a watchman for taxpayers. Just the interest alone on the national debt is becoming harder to pay each year. Someone needs to stand up. No one is doing that. I stood up in Montgomery and would do so in Washington.”

Zeigler, who is now term-limited and cannot run as state auditor again, was elected as state auditor in 2014 and re-elected in 2018. In 2018, Zeigler received 61 percent of the vote.

“My number one priority is of course to do the job as state auditor, and I’ve been working on that all day every day, even today,” Ziegler said.

In order to challenge Jones, Zeigler must make a decision before a November 2019 qualifying deadline.

The primary for the U.S. Senate seat will be held in March 2020, and will establish which Republican will face off with Jones in the November 2020 general election.

Kyle Morris also contributes daily to Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter @RealKyleMorris.