One of Georgia's

political leaders who started his career in Fayette County kicked off

his 2004 run for Congress Tuesday in Fayetteville before a large gathering

of family and friends.

In a series

of announcements throughout the district, state Rep. Lynn Westmoreland

(R-Sharpsburg) announced he will seek Rep. Mac Collins' Eighth Congressional

District seat in next year's election. Westmoreland is the minority leader

in the state House of Representatives, the highest post among Republican

members in the Democrat-controlled chamber.

"A lot

of you were in my living room in 1988 when I first decided to run, and

I appreciate all the support," Westmoreland told an enthusiastic

crowd at the Gazebo in Fayetteville.

The Eighth

District covers 18 counties, and Westmoreland said he's going "to

have to buy a gas credit card" to cover all the landscape and meet

the citizens.

The district

stretches from Muscogee County in the south to Carroll County in the west,

Fayette in the north and Jasper County in the east.

So far, he's

met a lot of people in the district and knows what one of the main issues

in the campaign will be.

"We've

got to get behind the president and get this economy going," he said.

Westmoreland

said he's represented nearly 200,000 out of the 700,000 in the district,

and cautioned his supporters that it's going to be a tough race.

"We don't

know yet who all's going to run, but there will be some challenges."

Between now

and the election, Westmoreland will continue to serve as the leader of

the House Republican Caucus and in the General Assembly.

He said the

race is also going to be expensive, and pegged the cost between $500,000

and $750,000.

According to

his Web site, www.lynnwestmoreland.com, "In 1976 the Westmorelands

moved to Fayette County, where he started a building company, L.A.W. Builders.

During his work in the construction industry, Rep. Westmoreland has worked

in all aspects of the trade, including commercial and residential construction,

land development, and served as a construction consultant for various

governmental agencies.

"Rep.

Westmoreland is a licensed real estate broker and has also served as a

mediator in various capacities....

"His political

career did not begin until 1988 when he ran for state Senate. In 1992

he was elected state representative of the 104th district, which includes

parts of Fayette and Coweta counties. His constituents have reelected

him to his sixth term as a state representative. He now serves on the

Appropriations, Legislative Services, Reapportionment, and Rules Committees,"

the site read.

He now serves

on the Christian City Advisory Board, the Safe Kids Council for Coweta

and Fayette counties, and the Stakeholder's Advisory Committee for Kennesaw

State University and is a member of the Midwest Georgia Homebuilder's

Association, his web site states. He and his wife Joan have three children

and two granddaughters, according to his web site.

Also running

for the post is state Sen. Mike Crotts of Conyers, the senior Republican

member of that body whose District 18 covers a small portion of Fayette.

Westmoreland

said he plans to emphasize less government and less taxes on the campaign

trail.