He’s not ready to formally announce his campaign, but Pennsylvania Democrat Corey O’Brien has taken formal steps to prepare a 2010 primary challenge of veteran Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski in the state’s 11th District.

O’Brien is a lawyer and county commissioner in Scranton who also has a broadcasting background. He filed a statement of candidacy and also formed a campaign committee with the Federal Election Commission, which processed his paperwork on Sept. 16.

O’Brien told CQ Politics Thursday evening that he filed his FEC papers “out of an abundance of caution at this point, just to ensure that we’re following all the appropriate procedures with respect to looking very closely at getting into the race.”