RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- White House gate crasher Tareq Salahi says he plans to run for governor of Virginia next year.

Salahi completed a declaration of candidacy, but it's meaningless until Jan. 1 under state law. A State Board of Elections official says the agency that oversees Virginia elections can't accept the declaration until the year in which the election is scheduled.

Salahi's plans to run as a Republican comes just days after another GOP candidate for governor, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, filed a lawsuit against Salahi and his winery, claiming they cheated customers who bought winery tours.

Salahi gained fleeting fame with his now estranged wife as uninvited guests to a 2009 White House state dinner.