Former state Rep. Dave Crooks (D) announced Thursday that he is running against freshman Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.) in 2012.

“I’m in, and I’m excited to formally launch this campaign. I can’t wait to hit the road,” Crooks said in a statement announcing his campaign.

Crooks, a longtime state lawmaker until 2008 and now a local radio station owner, won’t be the only Democrat seeking the party’s nod in the May 2012 primary. A local attorney, Terry White, has also filed to run for the seat.

After then-Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D) left the 8th district seat to run for Senate in 2010, Democrats gave up relatively early on holding the seat as the GOP wave developed. The Democratic nominee, state Rep. Trent Van Haaften, lost to Bucshon by more than 20 points.

However, Democrats argue that the district is more favorable for their party following redistricting, which put a few more competitive counties into the new 8th district while removing a few solid GOP counties in the north end of the district.