Likely Upton challenger to announce plans Tuesday

Former Michigan state Rep. Jack Hoogendyk (R) is likely to announce his plans Tuesday to challenge Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), the powerful head of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Hoogendyk ran against Upton in 2010, and pulled a strong 43 percent of the vote despite spending just $62,000 to Upton's $2 million on the race. This time the Tea Party favorite is likely to have national support: The fiscally conservative Club for Growth has praised him and is already running ads attacking Upton's record.

Hoogendyk will make his decision public Tuesday morning at a local auto dealership, his campaign announced Monday morning.

Upton has a centrist record in the House that includes backing increases in the federal minimum wage, expanding the State Children's Health Care Insurance Progran, providing more funding for Amtrak and supporting the "Cash for Clunkers" program that offered rebates for trading in for more fuel-efficient cars. He also opposed the 2007 troop surge in Iraq and supported federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research.

He has tacked to the right in recent years, but if the Club for Growth does get involved, Upton could be facing a very tough primary.