Newton County Commissioner John Douglas is planning a run at Georgia’s 10th congressional seat in 2014, hoping to replace U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, R-Athens, whose wife announced days ago that Broun would be seeking the seat of retiring U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss.

Douglas, who was just elected to the county commission in November, said he’s running because he wants to continue Broun’s fiscally conservative, Republican ideology.

“Well I think the federal government is so dysfunctional now, fiscally and politically, that we need to send somebody up there that is willing to stake a stand and stop this fiscal and political nonsense, this crazy out of control spending and the negative impact that all these policies are having on the economy,” Douglas said Saturday night by phone.

Douglas has previously served in the Georgia House and Senate, and said he believes he has a good shot at winning the seat because he’s already represented seven on the biggest counties contained in the 10th district, which includes part of Gwinnett, Walton, Oconee, Henry, Barrow, Clarke, Newton, Baldwin, Butts, Morgan, Greene, Putnam, McDuffie, Jasper, Columbia, Lincoln, Oglethorpe, Wilkes, Washington, Johnson, Warren, Hancock, Jefferson, Taliaferro and Glascock counties. There are 25 counties in all in the 10th district.

“I think people will appreciate the fact that in my 12 years of public service when I tell them something that’s what I do and carry through with. They appreciate that. They’re sick of people (politicians in general) saying one thing here and then going to Washington and doing exactly the opposite,” Douglas said. “My record shows I’ll take a stand. I’ve never voted for tax increases, and wouldn’t do that in Washington. I wouldn’t vote to raise the debt ceiling in Washington. We need to take control of this dysfunctional government and get it under control.”

Though he was just elected to the county commission, Douglas said he’s running for U.S. Congress because there’s an open seat that just became available.

“If it’s going to be an open race, frankly, we need to have someone from Newton County in the race. It would be quite feather in our cap to have a congressman from Newton County. We’ve never had that I don’t think, unless it was 150 years ago,” he said.

Douglas does not have to from his seat on the Newton County Board of Commissioners until he officials qualified to run for U.S. Congress, something he said he’ll only do if it appears he has a shot. Qualifying will not be until April 2014, Douglas said.

“I look forward to being on the county commission for the next year and a half and serving the first district (of Newton County). I’m not going anywhere,” he said.

Because a race for U.S. representative requires so much money, Douglas will spend 2013 raising money and garnering support, but he won’t actively campaign with signs or anything like that.

Douglas will host a campaign kickoff rally at 1:30 p.m., Thursday on the steps of the Historic Courthouse, where he’ll expand on his platform of cutting federal spending/the economy/jobs, strong support for the 2nd amendment, making the U.S energy independent and maintaining a strong military.

Though Broun has not made an official announcement to seek Chambliss’ senate seat, that’s expected to come Wednesday; Broun’s wife announced her husband, a medical doctor, would seek the seat last week.