Tennessee educator Luther Mercer II (D) has joined the race to succeed retiring Rep. John Tanner (D) in the western 8th district.

Mercer told The Jackson Sun newspaper that his background, which includes stints working in Egypt and China and directing the global education program at a Memphis school, gives him a “vision of where we need to go in rural West Tennessee in order to make this community a better place.”

Mercer, who is African-American, will be joining a Democratic race that already includes state Sen. Roy Herron, who dropped a planned campaign for governor after Tanner announced his retirement last week.