Steve Sarvi, Victoria city administrator, former Watertown mayor and Iraq war veteran, officially announced that he is running for U.S. Congress.

He will run for the seat in Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District currently occupied by Rep. John Kline. Sarvi announced his candidacy Thursday, 10 a.m. at the State Capitol in St. Paul.

According a press release statement, Sarvi said, “After five years without solid leadership in this rapidly growing part of our state, it’s time for a change – from the extreme partisanship that has marked John Kline’s tenure in Congress to representation that reflects Minnesota values.

“Minnesota is fortunate to have five DFL U.S. Representatives who believe in working for the common good,” Sarvi said.

“But in the 2nd District, for too long, we’ve had representation that reflects the far right-wing agenda of the Bush administration instead of values like equality, justice, neighborliness, and service – values Minnesotans and Americans used to represent throughout the world. It’s time for politics that reclaim these values in the 2nd District. It’s time to change course.”

Sarvi made his announcement at press conference in front of an audience that included veterans, college students, and Congressional District residents.

Read about Victoria and the DFL connection here [0].