Newest candidate in MI 7th denies "carpetbagger" claim JACKSON, MI (WKAR) - There's a new candidate for Michigan's seventh Congressional District.

AUDIO:
Republican Brian Rooney formally announced Thursday he's a 2010 candidate for the seat currently held by Democrat Mark Schauer. First, Rooney will square off in the GOP primary against Republican Tim Walberg and others. Walberg supporters have called Rooney a 'carpetbagger,' claiming he recently moved into the district to run for office there. Rooney calls the comment "silly:"

"The carpetbagger notion the people of Michigan, the people of District 7, don't care about," he says. "They care about jobs. They care about overspending. They care about unemployment. These are the things that I care about. These are my issues."

Rooney recently moved from Wayne County to Dexter and expects to work in Ann Arbor until early next year. The 37-year old constitutional attorney and Iraq War veteran says the country faces new problems that require new leadership.

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