Edward McCormick III, Rep. Barney Frank’s Republican opponent in 1992, has endorsed the Massachusetts Democrat in his re-election bid. Frank, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, faces a tougher-than-expected race against Republican Sean Bielat, a former Marine and former robotics company executive.

McCormick won a contested primary in 1992 but lost the general election as Frank took 68 percent of the vote. A Norfolk lawyer at the time, McCormick was seen as an up-and-comer in the Republican party.

“While times may have changed, I know from my own conversations with Barney, that he is eager to engage on any issue that affects the people of this District,” McCormick said in a release from Frank’s campaign. “He has time and again demonstrated his knowledge of the things that matter most to all of us. He has often spoken of the need ‘to reach across the aisle’ to get the job done and not let politics get in the way.”

This isn’t the first time that McCormick has endorsed a Democrat. In 2006, he endorsed now-Gov. Deval Patrick over Republican Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey at a press conference with nine other Republicans.

“I’m not looking at the polls and jumping on the bandwagon. I just hope to show that someone like Patrick has support across the board,” McCormick said at the time, according to the Sentinel & Enterprise.