Hendersonville Mayor Greg Newman announced Tuesday that he is seeking the Republican nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, a Democrat, the Asheville Citizen-Times reported.

Newman, 47, has served as mayor since 2005. Shuler, first elected in 2006, is a former NFL quarterback who has banked $1 million for his reelection bid.

The western North Carolina district is in a small minority of truly competitive districts in the country.