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State Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi, 38, is joined by his daughter, Lily, and son, Anthony Jr., marching in a parade on Genesee Street in Utica.

(Provided photo)

WASHINGTON -- State Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi plans to announce Wednesday that he will challenge U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney in the 2018 election, according to two Democratic sources familiar with his decision.

Brindisi, 38, a Democrat from Utica, invited supporters to an "important announcement" at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Liberty Bell Corner Park in Utica at which the sources said he will launch his campaign.

Brindisi had flirted with seeking the Democratic nomination in 2016 after the retirement of former Rep. Richard Hanna, R-Barneveld, but ultimately decided to stay in the Assembly.

Now he has decided to take on Tenney, a first-term conservative Republican from New Hartford, who until this year had served along with Brindisi in the Assembly.

Brindisi is likely to receive strong backing from New York and national Democrats in his bid for the 22nd Congressional District seat, which Democrats have targeted as one of their top national priorities in 2018.

He will become one of two Democrats seeking the party's nomination for the congressional seat. SUNY Binghamton professor Patrick Madden launched his campaign in May.

The 22nd Congressional District covers all of Madison, Oneida, Cortland and Chenango counties and a portion of Oswego, Broome, Herkimer and Tioga counties.

Brindisi, the father of two, began his political career as a member of the Utica School Board. He later fought in Assembly to increase education funding for lower-income school districts.

Brindisi has also shown an independent streak as a Democratic moderate, at times criticizing Gov. Andrew Cuomo. But some of his credentials will likely appeal to conservatives, including his top "A" rating from the National Rifle Association.

Brindisi held a mock "State of the State" address without the governor in his home district in January after he accused Cuomo of "ducking Utica for months."

Brindisi criticized the governor after Austrian chip maker AMS announced in November that it had abandoned plans to build a manufacturing plant at the state-owned Marcy Nanocenter, a 400-acre site near Utica.

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