Hayden Rogers, Shuler's chief of staff, to run for seat

Hayden Rogers announced today that he will run for Congress looking to squeeze into the District 11 seat being left open by his boss, U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler.

Shuler, a Waynesville Democrat, announced last week that he was not seeking reelection. Shuler faced a tough reelection campaign after his district was redrawn in a way that cut out many of the registered Democrats living in Asheville and increasing the number of registered Republicans in the district.

Rogers, Shuler's long time chief of staff, will face a list of Republican contenders who have already said they planned to run.

“It has truly been an honor to work on behalf of Western North Carolina alongside Congressman Shuler for the past six years," Rogers said in a statement. “As a proud North Carolinian, I am humbled to have the opportunity to continue fighting for the families across the 11^th District. I have seen first-hand how broken the political process can be in Washington. The divisive partisan gamesmanship does nothing to meet the challenges before us as a nation. Future generations of Americans are depending on us to face those challenges sincerely and directly. I will work across the aisle and with all honest people to solve them.”

Rogers is a graduate of Robbinsville High School and Princeton University. He resides in Brasstown with his wife, Donna Tipton-Rogers, and their two daughters, Torin (8) and Lochlan (6). They attend Little Brasstown Baptist Church.

He will make a formal announcement tour of the 11th District after filing.