Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) announced Sunday that he will run for reelection, after months of speculation around his possible retirement.

It is not a decision I have made lightly, Johnson said in his statement.

When re-election is not your primary motivation, those are easy promises to keep and I have faithfully done so. That attitude is relatively unique in Washington, and it may be one reason why many appreciate having me involved in the national debate, he said.

Johnson, who was an executive at a family plastics company before getting into politics in 2010, rode into the Senate on the tea party wave and defeated sitting Democrat Russ Feingold. He beat Feingold once again in 2016, when Donald Trump narrowly won Wisconsin in the presidential election. He said his 2016 run would be his last.

In an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal Sunday morning , Johnson said he decided to renege on that statement because he feels America is in peril.

Countless people have encouraged me to run, saying they rely on me to be their voice, to speak plain and obvious truths other elected leaders shirk from expressing truths the elite in government, mainstream media and Big Tech dont want you to hear, Johnson wrote.

He has long been among the more conservative members of the Senate: He has said he doesnt believe in climate change or global warming, has strict anti-immigration views and has long fought to dismantle Obamacare.

Over the last five years, he has also fully adopted Trumps Republican Party.

When Trump downplayed COVID-19, Johnson questioned the seriousness of the disease as well. He spread conspiracy theories about coronavirus vaccines and refused to get one himself, and also called for more research into debunked treatments like hydroxychloroquine.

The senator also refused to accept the 2020 election results, and continues to call on Wisconsin Republicans to take over the elections system. He has defended Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, saying they were people who love this country and that he would have been much more scared had they been Black Lives Matter protesters. He said he didnt feel threatened by the deadly riot.