Green County State’s Attorney Matt Goetten (D) announced today that he will challenge Rep. Timothy Johnson (R-Ill.) in his redrawn, competitive district.

“Congressman Johnson and his colleagues are asking our middle class to bear the sacrifice of their failure,” Goetten said in a press release. “Here in the real world, we’re left to wonder what they’re thinking. It is time for a wake-up call in Washington.”

Goetten’s announcement sets up what will likely be Johnson’s first serious re-election challenge in his Congressional career. The Democrat initially dismissed a bid last month but confirmed he recently changed his mind.

Johnson is seeking re-election in a downstate district after Democrats redrew the state’s Congressional map. The six term Republican’s new district is more competitive than his previous one and 70 percent of it is new territory for him.

Johnson has always won re-election by a comfortable margin of victory. He won with at least 58 percent of the vote in every race except his first one in 2000.