Joe the Plumber announces bid for Congress

Joe the Plumber , who became famous in the presidential race in 2008, announces his bid Tuesday evening to become a U.S. Representative, according to local reports. Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, who is known as Joe the Plumber, made the announcement in Toledo, Ohio. He is running as a Republican to represent northern Ohio's 9th congressional district in Congress. The seat is now held by Marcy Kaptur, the longest-serving Democratic woman in the House. In announcing the bid, Wurzelbacher blasted professional politicians, saying when a regular person loses a job, it is just a statistic to politicians, while in reality, it means people who can't afford food for their children or must walk away from houses they can't keep paying for. "Politicians in general, they're not there, they don't get it," Wurzelbacher said, noting most politicians don't know what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck. "The answer is, I am going to run because I've been there," Wurzelbacher said. Wurzelbacher gained national press attention in 2008 after he questioned then-candidate Barack Obama of his economic policies face to face. He was later referred to multiple times by Obama's Republican opponent John McCain. He later traveled the country to attend many Tea Party and conservative gatherings.