JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – State Sen. Brian Nieves, R-Washington, filed for reelection on Tuesday, but it is unclear whether he is actually set to move forward.

Rep. Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, has also filed for the seat, and House Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka, is also considering a run if Nieves were to back out.

“Sen. Nieves has filed and I’m not someone who believes in challenging incumbent senators from your own party,” Jones said, noting that if Nieves were to drop out, he would sit down and discuss the seat with him. “The nominee thus far is an incumbent senator for his party.”

Jones is term limited this year, and is mulling ways to stay on the political scent ahead of a likely statewide run in 2016.

Nieves has been quiet about his future plans, other than the fact that he has filed for reelection. He told the Missouri Times on Thursday that Schatz’s effort is “laughable.”

“I’m not interested in what a two-term representative who has decided to challenge his own sitting senator has to say,” Nieves told the paper.

Candidate filing ends on March 25.