ABERDEEN – Former Aberdeen Mayor Frank McNeill has joined the race for the 8th Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The district includes Cabarrus, Montgomery, Moore, Hoke and Stanly counties as well as parts of Rowan and Cumberland counties.

The seat is currently held by Republican Rep. Richard Hudson.

McNeill, a Democrat, said he’s running to bring North Carolina values to Washington: decency, kindness and hard work.

McNeill is the third-generation owner of McNeill Oil and Propane, which has 35 employees. He graduated from Appalachian State University. He has served for 17 years the Aberdeen Town Council and as mayor.

More recently, McNeill served on the Moore County Board of Education. He is president of the Aberdeen Lions Club and active in the Moore County Boy Scouts.

“I have lived, worked and served my community all my life,” McNeill said. “I feel it’s time that Washington should do the same, instead of catering to special interests.”

“I will fight every day to ensure working families have affordable and accessible health care, high-quality public schools, and clean air and clean water,” he said. “Finally, I will fight for our military so we can protect our country’s shores and support both our men and women in uniform and our veterans.”

Hudson, who is from Cabarrus County, is in his third term in Congress.

“My opponent, Richard Hudson, has served only the agenda of Speaker Paul Ryan and special interests in Washington, who are lining their pockets at the expense of ordinary working families here in my communities,” said McNeill. “He has voted for a Washington tax bill that hurts our neighbors, voted to take health care away from folks who cannot afford it, and failed to hold our president accountable to his promises to our families. If elected, I will … make Washington work for voters, not special interests.”