Milwaukee businessman Andy Gronik will seek the Democratic nomination for governor, he announced on Tuesday.

Gronik, 60, is a political newcomer who has touted his "outsider" status as he has traveled the state, publicly considering a campaign over the last year.

"I'm not a politician. I'm a business leader with the progressive values necessary to beat Governor Scott Walker and make living in Wisconsin better for all of our residents — that's why I'm running for governor," Gronik said in a fundraising email announcing his candidacy.

Gronik said in an interview he is running because he wants his two young children to have the same kind of opportunity that he had growing up. He is prioritizing, in particular, investment in public education and access to health care. The state "can do so much better" than it has under Walker, he said.

Walker — who first took office in 2011 — has not officially announced his plans to seek a third term, but his campaign announced on Tuesday that it has $2.4 million in the bank, which is more than he had on hand at this point in the year before his 2014 re-election campaign. In addition, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch's campaign has $1.2 million on hand, which can be pooled with Walker's resources.