CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Former U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Jackson announced Friday that he will run for Congress this year in a newly created district in the Charlotte area.

Jackson, a Democrat who dropped out of the Senate race in December and endorsed Cheri Beasley for the nomination, will compete in the 14th District.

What You Need To Know

  • Jackson decided to run after a judicial panel adopted new congressional lines when it determined the legislature's version fell short of partisan fairness standards

  • The redrawn 14th District includes about half of the population of Mecklenburg County and most of the population of Gaston County

  • Jackson has renamed his Senate campaign committee, which reported having $831,000 in cash as of January

The open seat would appear to favor a Democrat, according to an analysis of the district's election results from a dozen statewide races in 2016 and 2020.

The district covers about half of the population of Mecklenburg County, where Jackson lives, and most of the population of Gaston County, where he was once an assistant prosecutor.

The current state senator said he made the decision after talking it over with his family Thursday, the day after a judicial panel adopted new congressional lines when it determined the legislature's latest version still fell short of partisan fairness standards set by the state Supreme Court.

“This all happened suddenly — but we’re ready,” Jackson said in an email to supporters. “We have the support, the infrastructure and the experience to hit the ground running.”

He'll have to officially file as a candidate by next Friday.

Jackson already has renamed his Senate campaign committee, which reported having $831,000 in cash as of January — an amount that's sure to make some candidates think twice about competing with him.

However, at least three candidates — two Republicans and one Democrat — had filed Thursday for the 14th District seat. Several others who filed in December, when the 14th District was situated in the mountains, will have to decide whether to withdraw or run for a different seat.

Jackson's decision means three former Democratic U.S. Senate candidates this cycle have now dropped out to run for Congress elsewhere. The others are former state Sen. Erica Smith and virologist Richard Watkins.