Woody Myers, a millionaire venture capitalist and former Indiana health commissioner who once made a name for himself defending AIDS victim Ryan White, announced Wednesday he is entering the 2020 Indiana governor's race as a Democrat.

Myers said he plans to focus on education, jobs and health care. The onetime Wishard Memorial Hospital doctor made the announcement outside his former employer's emergency department, saying he wants to offer a fresh voice.

"I’m running for governor because Indiana has too many pre-existing conditions that typical politicians just can’t treat," he said, "and treating tough problems is what I do."

Myers was health commissioner under Govs. Evan Bayh, a Democrat, and Robert Orr, a Republican, which he used to illustrate his ability to work with both parties.

In 1985, shortly after Myers became both Indiana's youngest and its first black state health commissioner, he found himself embroiled in a national controversy.

At the height of the AIDS epidemic, a local school district was trying to stop an Indiana teenager with the disease from returning to classes.

He used his platform to make it clear that Ryan White, a Kokomo teenager and AIDS patient, posed no threat to public health and should be allowed to go back to his middle school in a rural district outside the city.

The school board, fearing White would spread AIDS, called for Myers to resign. But Myers, who understood the disease could not be passed through casual contact, never backed down. He held a news conference with White, where he tousled the boy's hair.

Wednesday, Myers made it clear he thinks Democrats need a much stronger presence and voice in Indiana. Republicans hold every elected statewide office and have supermajorities in both chambers of the state legislature.

He criticized the state's recent tax cuts for corporations and financial institutions. He discussed combating the state's high infant mortality rate, boosting teacher pay, fighting the rising cost of health care and increasing access to vocational schools and community colleges.

"While today’s politicians are bickering, fighting and thinking small," he said, "Hoosiers in every corner of our state are having a harder time getting by let alone getting ahead. Teachers are leaving our state in record numbers, students are being forced to deal with overcrowded classrooms and less individual attention, and it's wrong that music classes and art classes are becoming optional."

Former Democratic Congressman Baron Hill, who introduced Myers on Wednesday, said he will chair the campaign.

"He's got the knowledge and the wherewithal and the context to make this a very competitive race," Hill said, "and that's why I'm standing here today."

Since leaving office, Myers has built a strong portfolio, which has included a pizza chain, telecom company, banks and gas companies.

He owns Myers Ventures, where he consults with health care facilities, providers and companies.

He ran unsuccessfully for Andre Carson's U.S. House seat in the May 2008 primary despite spending $2.3 million, most of it his own. At the time, IndyStar research found his net worth between $10 million and $31 million.

Carson, who won the office earlier that year in a special election, defeated Myers and several other opponents in a crowded primary field.

Myers, who owns a $4.5 million condo Downtown, said Wednesday he would not self-finance this campaign.

Democrats are beginning to line up to run for governor against Eric Holcomb, who widely is expect to make his bid for a second term official this Saturday.

State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary, has formed an exploratory committee to run for governor. He drew headlines earlier this month when he announced state Superintendent of Public Education Jennifer McCormick, a Republican, would go on a listening tour with him.

State Rep. Karlee Macer, D-Indianapolis, also has said she is considering a run for governor.

State Democratic Chairman John Zody, who attended Myers' announcement, said he's glad so many candidates are trying to spread Democrats' message.

"He's treated life-and-death situations," Zody said of Myers. "He understands the importance of health care, the importance of education and the importance of jobs. Like the others who are interested, he's providing a positive alternative to what we are seeing at the Statehouse."

Call IndyStar reporter Chris Sikich at 317-444-6036. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisSikich.