Bill Randall, an unsuccessful candidate for state GOP chairman, plans to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Brad Miller of Raleigh next year.

Randall, 42, a retired Navy meteorologist from Wake Forest, plans to announce his candidacy July 1, reports Rob Christensen.

“I believe the current representative is out of touch,” Randall said. “With his voting record he does not represent the average constituent in the district along with the so-called stimulus plan.”

Randall moved to North Carolina last fall and became involved as a volunteer in the campaign of Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

He became known in GOP circles across the state when he campaigned for party chairman.

Miller, a four-term Democrat, has never had a close race in the Democratic-leaning 13th District, which starts in Raleigh and arcs northward along the Virginia border before ending in Greensboro.

The N.C. Republican Party will decide on a new leader this month.

After several defeats in 2008, the race for party chair has been particularly heated, with all four candidates vowing to mobilize voters and stay true to conservative values, the Associated Press reports.

Political observers say the frontrunners are Chad Adams, former Lee County commissioner and vice president of the John Locke Foundation, and Tom Fetzer, former Raleigh mayor and longtime political consultant.

Adams has the support of former Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr and much of the political machine run by Art Pope. Fetzer has the backing of a bevy of current and former state officials, most recently U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick.

Retired Navy officer Bill Randall and businessman Marcus Kindley are also running. 

In a political irony, the June 13 event will be held at the Raleigh convention center, a project famously opposed by Fetzer when he served as mayor. 

Republicans will have a chance tonight to hear about how the GOP should mount its comeback from the four candidates running for state GOP chairman.

Chad Adams, Tom Fetzer, Marcus Kindley and Bill Randall will speak tonight to the Western Wake Republican Club annual spring fling dinner in Cary, Rob Christensen reports.

The dinner starts at 6 p.m. at the Business Networking Center at 649 Walnut Street in Cary.

The state party chairmanship race will be decided June 12-14 at the state Republican convention at the Raleigh Convention Center. The four are seeking to replace Linda Daves, who is not seeking another term.