Franklin County Commissioner Paula Brooks (D) has announced she will challenge Rep. Patrick Tiberi (R) in 2010.

“After proudly serving Central Ohio over the past three decades, I am ready to bring our voice to Washington and work on common sense solutions that will turn our country around,— Brooks said in a statement.

Brooks explored running in the neighboring 15th district in 2006, but eventually deferred to now-Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (D), who lost that cycle but went on to win the open seat in 2008. Brooks resides in the 15th district, but a significant portion of Franklin County — where Columbus is located — is in Tiberi’s 12th district.

Brooks is viewed as the first serious candidate in several cycles to challenge Tiberi, who won re-election in 2008 with 55 percent of the vote against a little-known opponent. In 2006, when Democrats were sweeping the statewide races, Tiberi beat former Rep. Bob Shamansky (D), 57 percent to 43 percent.

President Barack Obama won the district in 2008 with 54 percent of the vote.