Republican businessman Bill Flores is focusing on job creation in his first general election ad, which started airing in the Waco, Texas, and Bryan-College Station media markets Wednesday.

“Democrats in Washington think new jobs come from government programs,” Flores says as he strolls through a factory. “But I know that they come from right here, in the private sector.”

Flores’ race against 10-term Rep. Chet Edwards (D) is one of the most closely watched in the nation. In the heavily conservative district, Edwards is a perennial target, and Republicans think this might be the year he loses.

Both the National Republican Congressional Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee are expected to invest heavily in the race. Flores is at the top tier of the NRCC’s Young Guns program, and the DCCC included the matchup in its list of districts where it’s buying advertising time.

Flores is also in the final day of a 72-hour “Fire Pelosi” moneybomb fundraising appeal that has a goal of bringing in $17,000 by midnight Thursday. It coincides with a trip by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), who is fundraising in Dallas and Houston this week.

Edwards is doing a “Vets for Edwards” tour around the district, touting his role as chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and the endorsements of former military leaders.