(Harrisburg) -- A Republican state lawmaker is joining a crowded field in the race to become the state's next Attorney General. Senator John Rafferty has represented Montgomery County for the past nine years. He says he won’t step down from office during the campaign. "I’ll be at session, I’ll still be working on legislation - that doesn’t stop because there’s a campaign going on. I’ve run three campaigns as a state senator running for reelection and continued on as state senator. So I’ll continue to fulfill my duties as state senator," Rafferty says. He says the past two state AGs have been known for overseeing high-profile cases - like the government corruption probe known as Bonusgate, and the investigation into former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky. The position has been held by the GOP since it was made an elected post in 1980. Among the Democrats who have announced they’ll run for the office are former Congressman Patrick Murphy, ex-Lackawanna County prosecutor Kathleen Kane, and Montgomery County lawyer Dan McCaffery.