Attorney and businessman Chris Cox (R) is officially in the running for Rep. Tim Bishop’s (D-N.Y.) 1st district seat.

Cox, who was among a list of prospective candidates interviewed by the Suffolk County Republican Party, formally announced his run in a news release Thursday morning. He is one of the favorites to win the county’s nomination.

Cox, the son of New York Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox and grandson of President Richard Nixon, promised to “fight for the interests of Suffolk County residents in Washington and for the important reforms that will create jobs and boost the economy in communities from Smithtown to Montauk.—

Cox’s candidacy sets off a skirmish for the Republican nomination with well-funded candidates Randy Altschuler, a wealthy entrepreneur who recently moved to the district, and former Securities and Exchange Commission attorney George Demos, among other prospective candidates.

The National Republican Congressional Committee has been talking up Altschuler, but Suffolk County GOP Chairman John Jay LaValle told the New York Daily News on Monday that Altschuler “has far too many flaws, and I don’t think, quite frankly, it’s my personal opinion, he can’t win.—

Cox’s campaign also took a dig at Altschuler, who opponents accuse of helping outsource jobs to India, noting in his statement that Cox co-founded a consulting firm that helps American companies “expand their business and grow their workforce in America, not overseas.—