CHEYENNE - A retired U.S. Navy captain says he plans to run against U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin, R-Wyo., in the August Republican primary.

Bill Winney, who would be Cubin's first primary opponent, made his intentions known at the Sublette County GOP Convention on Monday, but says he won't formally announce his candidacy for a couple weeks.

He said Tuesday he still has "a lot more homework to do" before he announces and plans to travel around the state listening to residents.

Winney, 56, said he plans to adhere to President Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment of not speaking ill of a fellow Republican during the campaign and would not criticize Cubin.

But, he says, he thinks he has a lot to offer voters.

"I've looked around at things, and I think I can do better," Winney said. "I want to offer my services to the people of Wyoming."

In January, Democrat Gary Trauner announced he would seek Cubin's seat. Cubin has indicated she will run for a seventh term, but has not officially announced her candidacy.

Winney has not held or run for political office before but says he held three different appointments at the Pentagon during his military career.

He said that experience gave him an understanding of how to get things done in Washington, even though he says he's "no expert."

Winney was born in Wilmington, Del., but became a Wyoming resident in 1978. He was transferred all over the globe while in the Navy, but kept up his Wyoming residency and has an apartment in Cheyenne, he said.

"It's home as far as I'm concerned," Winney said.

He said he owns property in Sublette County and plans to build a house on it soon.

Winney was commanding officer of the USS Benjamin Franklin, a nuclear submarine, from November 1988 to November 1991. He was commanding officer of the USS Holland, a surface ship designed to do submarine repair work, from July 1994 to August 1996. He retired from the Navy in 2002.

Winney has a wife, Louise, and three sons. Two of his sons have attended the University of Wyoming. One is currently a student there.