A member of the Albuquerque City Council announced Sunday that he will pursue the Republican nomination in the open-seat House race in New Mexico’s 1st district.

City Councilor Dan Lewis’ announcement came one day after incumbent Democratic Rep. Martin Heinrich made his 2012 Senate campaign official.

Lewis is the first Republican to enter the House race. Former state Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones (R) has formed an exploratory committee, but she told Roll Call that she probably will not make her decision until late May.

Heinrich won the 1st district in an open race in 2008 after Republican Rep. Heather Wilson vacated the seat to run for the Senate. She lost the GOP Senate primary, but she’s back in the mix for 2012, potentially setting up a high-profile race with Heinrich to succeed Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman, who is retiring.

Kyle Trygstad contributed to this report.