John Becker has announced his candidacy for the state Senate almost four full years before Election Day.  

Becker, a Republican Party State Central Committeeman, announced his candidacy in his newsletter “The Becker Report” late Monday. The 14th state Senate seat will be vacant for the 2012 election because state Sen. Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond) is term-limited.

Becker said he’s announcing now because the primary is two years away from this January and he needs the time to “raise money, create name ID, and educate [himself] on the issues and problems that face our government.”

While he hasn’t ruled out running for state representative, and may even wait until 2014 to run for office, he’s already soliciting donations to the “Friends of Becker” committee.

Of abortion, the pro-life Becker said “no issue is closer to my heart.”

Becker also said the state government must “create the economic environment for people and business to achieve success,” provide basic services and encourage greater activity by charitable organizations to take the burden off of government for social work.

Becker wants to abolish the “marriage penalty” on taxes, give credits for chairtable organizations and incentivize unwed mothers to place “unwanted infants up for adoption.”

Becker, a school district treasurer, wants more education funding to come from the state and thinks creating more charter schools will spur healthy competition.

Becker is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University and Xavier University.