INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A second Republican candidate for Indiana’s U.S. Senate seat has now submitted their paperwork.

John Rust on Monday dropped off thousands of petitions at the Indiana Secretary of State’s Office. This came just four days after U.S. Rep. Jim Banks filed his paperwork to run for the senate.

Rust will be challenging Banks in the May 7 primary.

Rust said of his paperwork filing, “It’s a huge sense of relief. I am so happy to turn in 17,000 signatures all across the state of Indiana. We have signatures from every county and it is a massive show of support.”

Rust still faces a legal challenge to his eligibility. The Indiana Supreme Court next Monday will hear arguments in that case. A circuit court judge already has ruled in Rust’s favor.

This story was created from a script aired on WISH-TV.