Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine is jumping into the 2010 governor's race, getting a head start on what could be a healthy field of big-name Republicans hoping to replace Sonny Perdue.

Oxendine, first elected to the insurance post in 1994, said he is running for governor no matter who else gets into the race. He said Wednesday that he will file the paperwork soon to begin raising money to run for governor.

The commissioner said the sometimes chaotic 2008 legislative session, which included a failed attempt to reform the tax structure, helped persuade him to run.

"Looking at the legislative session as a citizen, not as an elected official, I think we still need tax reform," said Oxendine, who lives in Gwinnett County. "I want what was promised to me. As a taxpayer, I am very disappointed that didn't come about."

That could be part of Oxendine's line of attack if, as expected, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle gets into the race. House leaders blamed Cagle, a Hall County Republican, for killing their bill eliminating taxes on cars. Cagle preferred an income tax cut, but in the end, neither made it to a final vote.

Other legislation, including funding plans for trauma care and transportation, also failed.

In addition, Oxendine said he was irate over the General Assembly's quiet, fast-track passage of legislation that would allow insurers to raise auto insurance rates without first getting state approval.

"To me, there is a fundamental problem (in the Legislature) when something like that could pass," Oxendine said.

Perdue has said he "has problems" with the insurance bill and he has not yet signed it into law.

Perdue finishes his second term in 2 1/2 years and the race to replace him could produce a large field.

A lot will depend on whether popular Republican U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson comes back from Washington to run. If he does, that will open up his U.S. Senate seat, which would be attractive to several Georgia politicians.

Besides Oxendine, Cagle and Isakson, the Republican names that have been mentioned in the governor's race include House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram), House Majority Leader Jerry Keen (R-St. Simons Island), and U.S. Reps. Lynn Westmoreland and Jack Kingston.

On the Democratic side, House Minority Leader DuBose Porter (D-Dublin), has been talked about as a potential candidate.

"I have considered every single potential opponent that has been mentioned in the media, and my decision will in no way be affected by what anyone else decides to do," he said.

Oxendine began raising money to run for lieutenant governor before the 2006 election but dropped out of the race. The commissioner said he never really wanted the job and decided it would be wrong to run for it as nothing more than a stepping stone to higher office.

Oxendine is known as a prolific fund-raiser. He has raised more money than any insurance commissioner in state history, taking in millions of dollars for an office that generally doesn't attract big-money opposition. He had more than $900,000 left over in his insurance commissioner's account as of the end of December, according to State Ethics Commission reports.

"It takes a massive amount of money to run for governor," he said. "This could be the most expensive governor's race in history."