Former Rep. Charlie Wilson will seek rematch in Ohio

By Josh Lederman - 11/30/11 04:59 PM ET

Former Rep. Charlie Wilson (D-Ohio) will launch a campaign to reclaim the House seat he lost in 2010, he announced Wednesday.

Wilson's announcement sets the stage for a rematch against Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), who ended Wilson's two-term run in the House when he beat him by 5 points.

“This Congress is the worst we’ve ever seen. While Ohio families are struggling with severe economic challenges, Bill Johnson and the congressional leadership are playing politics and not getting things done for us," Wilson said in announcing his campaign. "That has got to stop.”

Wilson had long been publicly considering a rematch, loaning $150,000 to his campaign committee during the third quarter of 2011 and filing the necessary paperwork for him to run in 2012.

“If elected, I will go to Washington with new energy, a new commitment to work with members of both parties on good ideas that could lead to a better economy, and a solemn oath to serve the Ohio River Valley’s interests first and foremost and not the interests of any political party,” Wilson said Wednesday.

Wilson's loss to Johnson in 2010 was a tough defeat for Democrats. Johnson tied Wilson to then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and argued his votes for healthcare reform and the stimulus made him too liberal for the state, even though Wilson had a fiscally moderate record and supported gun rights. National groups chipped in to buy ads on both sides of the race, and Johnson beat Wilson 50-45. Johnson's district was redrawn in 2011 and became bigger, but also slightly more Republican, making it more difficult territory for Wilson than it was when he held the seat.

Republicans were quick to dismiss Wilson's chances. Ohio Republican Party spokesman Chris Maloney said Wilson had "punched Ohioans in the gut" by supporting the policies of Pelosi and Obama, offering a preview of a GOP strategy against Wilson that is likely to mirror the strategy they used effectively against him in 2010.

"Voters fired Congressman Charlie Wilson because his harmful record in Washington hurt Ohio's economy," Maloney said in a statement. "With his record of burdening Ohio families with mountains of debt, Ohio voters won't be hiring Congressman Charlie Wilson again."