By GREG BLUESTEIN? / Special

DuBose Porter, a rural newspaper publisher and the Georgia House's top Democrat, has joined an already crowded field to become Georgia's next governor.

Porter said he decided to enter the 2010 contest after the Republican-controlled Legislature voted to give the governor and lawmakers more power over infrastructure money and failed for a second time to adopt a sales tax for transportation funding.

“This year's lack of leadership on transportation and their personal grabs for power at the expense of the people convinced me to throw my hat into the ring,” he said.

He joins a growing crowd competing to replace two-term Gov. Sonny Perdue, who in 2002 became Georgia's first Republican governor in generations. Perdue is forbidden by law to run for a third term.

Attorney General Thurbert Baker and David Poythress, the former commander of the Georgia National Guard, have also entered the race on the Democratic side. And former Gov. Roy Barnes has also said he may jump in.

At least four Republicans are vying for the post. Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, Secretary of State Karen Handel, state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine and state Rep. Austin Scott of Tifton are running. Cobb County Commission Chairman Sam Olens is also considering a run, as is House Speaker Pro-Tem Mark Burklhalter.

Poythress said in a statement he was  “confident” he would win the party's primary and that he wasn't surprised by Porter's decision. Baker spokesman Jeff DiSantis said the attorney general  “looks forward to a vigorous debate about how to move Georgia forward.”

Porter said he hopes to bring a more moderate and rural voice to the governor's mansion. An attorney, he was first elected to the Georgia House in 1982. Five years later, he and a business partner bought the Dublin Courier Herald.

Porter rose to a leadership position in the House, serving as a floor leader for then-Gov. Zell Miller in 1991 and 1992. (Baker also was one of Miller's lieutenants at the same time, serving as an assistant floor leader and ultimately a floor leader as well).

Seeking a more powerful post,  Porter was on the losing side of a disastrous bid to unseat legendary House Speaker Tom Murphy, but eventually recovered to become one of the House's top leaders.

After Republicans took control of the chamber in the 2004 elections, Porter was selected the chamber's minority leader, becoming an outspoken critic of Republican policies. He called the latest legislative session, which ended Friday,  “the last straw.”

“We need new leadership in the state,'' Porter said.

As the 2010 campaign shapes up, the biggest unknown remains whether Barnes will join the contest. Barnes, who was defeated by Perdue in 2002, did not immediately return phone calls Monday afternoon.

“I've talked to Roy several times and I know he's torn,” said Porter, who added he was hopeful the party would unite behind a single candidate.

“We'll just have to wait and see how that plays out,” he said.