State Sen. Tom White (D) announced Monday that he is forming an exploratory committee to look at challenging Rep. Lee Terry (R) next year.

White is considered a top recruit for Democrats, who have not aggressively targeted Terry before. Terry won re-election in 2008 with 52 percent, his lowest total since being elected to Congress in 1998, and President Barack Obama won the Omaha-based 2nd district in last year’s presidential race.

White, a 52-year-old civil rights attorney who has served three years in the state Legislature, also launched a campaign Web site: tomwhite2010.com.

In an e-mail to supporters, White did not name Terry but stressed his independence and desire for more bipartisanship — two themes that will no doubt be a focus of his campaign.

“To me, it doesn’t matter if it’s a Democratic idea or a Republican idea. What matters is whether it’s a good idea, one that will create jobs and strengthen the economy,— he wrote. “That basic principle is needed in Congress now more than ever.—