State Del. Mark Sickles, state House minority caucus chairman, will announce his candidacy in Virginia’s 8th District on Monday, according to a news release shared first with CQ Roll Call.

Sickles now becomes the 5th Democrat looking to succeed Rep. Jim Moran, the 12-term Democrat who announced his retirement from this northern Virginia district earlier this month.

“Congressman Jim Moran casts a long shadow on the civic and legislative landscape of Northern Virginia. His ability to make things happen – and his seniority on key committees important to our region and Commonwealth – cannot be replaced,” Sickles, whose district is located in Fairfax, Va., said in a news release. “I worked on his first campaign for Congress in 1990 and have been part of his team for the last 24 years, and am announcing my candidacy today to succeed him in the House of Representatives.”

Three other Democrats have officially announced bids for the seat: State Dels. Charniele Herring and Patrick Hope, as well as businessman Bruce Shuttleworth.

Former Lt. Gov. Don Beyer, who recently ended his tenure as U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Lichtenstein, will likely make an announcement on the race later this week.

Beyer’s prolific fundraising ability, having raised hundreds of thousands for President Barack Obama, could give him a leg-up on the current field in this district. Candidates will need to raise millions in order to purchase television air time in this district, located in the pricey Washington, D.C., media market.

A number of other Democrats could also announce bids in the coming weeks. The filing deadline to run for the seat is March 27, with a primary scheduled for June 3.

Virginia’s 8th District is rated a Safe Democratic contest by Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call.