Ritz at a gubernatorial campaign announcement conference in Fort Wayne in June

INDIANAPOLIS (WOWO): State Schools Superintendent Glenda Ritz is bowing out of the Indiana Governor's race already. 

Her campaign announced Friday that she will instead seek re-election as the state's Superintendent of Public Instruction. 

In a statement, Ritz says that public education is the best use of her time and talents going forward and that now was not the right time to run for the Democratic nomination for Governor. 

Ritz says recent stories in the media of rising childhood poverty and a decrease in college level students alarmed her and she feels she needs to continue as Superintendent, but hopes education continues to be a focus of the gubernatorial race.

5:43 PM update: John Gregg, Democratic candidate for Governor, released the following statement reacting to Superintendent Glenda Ritz's decision to leave the race for the Democratic nomination for Indiana Governor in 2016: