Disbarred former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas has filed nominating petitions to run for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. And Thomas says despite a very crowded field, he can win.

“They’re going to be able to nominate a true conservative, or they can vote for a pig in a poke, somebody they don’t know, or somebody who’s backed by a bunch of establishment people who want the border open," Thomas said. "I mean, it’s going to be a very simple choice in the end and I like my chances, once people realize that.”

Thomas is a publicly funded candidate and will get about $750,000 in state funds for his primary election campaign. 

He says he’ll focus his effort on ending illegal immigration, ending Gov. Jan Brewer’s Medicaid expansion and killing the Common Core education standards in the state. 

Critics say Thomas will split the party’s base, opening the door for a Democratic opponent to win the general election. Thomas disagrees, saying that’s the knock on every conservative who runs for office.