COLUMBUS, Ohio – Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor became the latest Republican on Tuesday to express an interest in being Ohio’s next governor.

“I am seriously considering running for governor in 2018,” Taylor told reporters on the steps of the Statehouse after a teen driving event.

Her comments follow the recent formation of a new nonprofit that could aid in her potential gubernatorial bid. That entity, Onward Ohio, incorporated with the secretary of state’s office last week. It also has sought 527 tax-exempt status with the IRS, which allows it to raise money for general political activities.

Taylor said the organization is designed to help her more broadly promote the initiatives that she has worked on with Gov. John Kasich.

“This will just be one more avenue to continue to talk about common-sense policies that we believe have made a difference in Ohio,” she said, noting tax cuts and efforts to make state government more efficient.

Kasich, a Republican in his second term as governor, has been campaigning for president. Taylor has been appearing more often in Kasich’s stead since he launched his campaign for the White House in July.

Other high-profile Republicans are weighing gubernatorial bids, including Attorney General Mike DeWine, a former U.S. senator, and Secretary of State Jon Husted, a former Ohio House speaker.

Taylor declined to compare her credentials to her fellow statewide officeholders. “I don’t think it’s time to talk about that now,” she said.

She said she was focused on electing a Republican president and U.S. senator in 2016. “That’s the next important election.”