• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- Former Republican Gov. Mike Rounds announced plans Thursday to seek South Dakota's U.S. Senate seat, setting up a 2014 battle between two men who have never lost an election -- a campaign that figures to draw widespread national attention as Republicans and Democrats jockey for control of the chamber.
• A few minutes after Rounds announced he'd challenge Sen. Tim Johnson, the Democratic lawmaker issued a statement indicating his plans to seek a fourth term.
• Rounds, 58, said he has worked well with Johnson in the past and considers him a friend. But he said he and Johnson disagree on some key issues.
• "At this stage of the game, it's a matter of the direction of this country," Rounds said.
• Johnson, 65, has dealt with several serious health issues in recent years that have slowed his speech and required him to sometimes use a motorized scooter when he needs to get around quickly. He had surgery in 2006 to stop bleeding in his brain caused by arteriovenous malformation, a condition that causes arteries and veins in the brain to grow abnormally large, become tangled and sometimes burst.
• But in a statement, the popular legislator dispelled speculation that he might not seek re-election.
• "I feel great, still have work to do, and I fully intend to put together a winning campaign in the weeks and months ahead," Johnson wrote, adding that he'd make a formal campaign announcement next year.
• Bob Burns, a retired South Dakota State University political science professor, noted that Johnson won re-election in 2008 with 62 percent of the vote, albeit against a lesser-known opponent than Rounds. He said South Dakota voters seem to be understanding of Johnson's physical challenges.
• "We know that his mind continues to be keen. While he may take more time to express himself orally than was true in the past, he nevertheless is able to do that," Burns said.
• At a news conference announcing his candidacy, Rounds said he is running because he wants to end gridlock in Washington and help reduce the federal deficit, set good farm policies and protect industry from undue regulation. He also said he

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