JACKSON (AP) — Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler has qualified for the GOP nomination for State Auditor against incumbent Stacy Pickering.

Hawkins-Butler said Monday that she will release a full statement before week’s end.

Hawkins-Butler, who owns property in Natchez and visits the area regularly, is serving her ninth term as Madison’s mayor. She is challenging Pickering in the Aug. 4. GOP primary.

Pickering filed on Jan. 6 and has served two terms as State Auditor, which is responsible for auditing public accounts and conducting investigations of public agencies to ensure accountability.

Hawkins-Butler was first elected mayor in 1981 at age 26. Pickering, a former state senator, was re-elected auditor in 2011.