Bloglander

A former NFL player has stepped forward as the first Democratic contender to U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, in the 2012 election.

Lewiston native Jimmy Farris played for a number of NFL teams from 2001 to 2007, most recently the Atlanta Falcons, according to Huckleberries Online.

In 2012, he will play against Labrador, a freshman Congressman who unseated Democrat Walt Minnick in the 2010 election.

"Like most people, I'm a guy who doesn't like the direction we're going as a country," Farris told the Lewiston Tribune. "I think there's some things we could be doing better. I think Congress right now is full of obstructionists and people who don't understand how to work together."