After passing on the race in October, Republican businessman Jeff Miller told local papers Thursday that he plans to seek the GOP nomination to take on North Carolina Rep. Heath Shuler (D) this fall.

Miller, who founded HonorAir in 2006 to fly World War II veterans to Washington, D.C., to tour the World War II Memorial and other D.C. sites, was recruited by party officials last fall before he announced he wouldn’t run. He was welcomed back to the race with open arms by the National Republican Congressional Committee on Friday.

“We’re delighted Jeff Miller is joining the race; he’s the kind of honest, selfless public servant that western Carolina sorely lacks in Congress,” said spokesman Andy Sere.