State Del. Rick Snuffer announced Monday that he is running for the Republican nomination in West Virginia’s 3rd district.

Should Snuffer get the GOP nod, the race would be a rematch of his 2004 race against 18-term Rep. Nick Rahall (D). Snuffer lost that race by a 30-point margin.

What will make this year different from 2004? Snuffer said to look at the top of the ballot.

“What I hope we can effectively communicate: A vote for Congressman Rahall is a vote for President Obama,” Snuffer told Roll Call. Obama lost the Mountain State in 2008, taking only 43 percent of the vote.

Snuffer will face two other GOP contenders in the primary.

Although Rahall’s 2010 re-election effort was closely watched, he came out of the race with a 12-point win.

Republicans remain bullish though. “The question is going to be: Can he raise money?” one national Republican with knowledge of the race said about Snuffer. “Sure Rahall’s been around forever, but it’s a Republican seat.”