Updated at 2:00 p.m.: Revised to include comment from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee after earlier updates added comment from Rep. Chip Roy and the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Former state Sen. Wendy Davis on Monday launched a bid for Congress against U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, an Austin Republican who has stirred Washington in his first term with a no-holds-barred approach to legislating.

"I'm running to be a voice for every Texan who feels forgotten by a broken political system," said Davis, who earned national attention in 2013 for filibustering in the Legislature against anti-abortion legislation. "It's time to make Washington listen — will you stand with me?"

Davis' challenge, which had long been rumored, marks a high-profile comeback for the Democrat who was last seen on Texas' political scene losing a gubernatorial race in 2014 to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott by more than 20 percentage points.

Wendy Davis’ radical & extreme views will no doubt excite the likes of Nancy Pelosi & other DC liberals. I will continue fighting for the hardworking families of #Tx21 & the commonsense values that make Texas everything Washington is not. #Life, #Liberty, & #PursuitOfHappiness — Chip Roy (@chiproytx) July 22, 2019

Her campaign also underscores the expansive 2020 map in Texas.

The battle for Roy's Central Texas district, which includes parts of Austin and San Antonio, is one of at least eight U.S. House seats — six Republican-held and two Democratic-held — that experts have tagged as competitive in next year's election.

Roy, who won last year by less than 3 points, has further raised the stakes by upturning D.C. with tactics such as holding up a major disaster relief bill, gumming up the House's schedule with procedural maneuvers and showing no hesitation in criticizing his fellow Republicans.

That approach, along with Roy's deep conservative bonafides, has thrilled his supporters and steamed his critics.

The congressman wrote on Twitter on Monday that Davis' "extreme views will no doubt excite the likes of Nancy Pelosi & other DC liberals." He said he would "continue fighting for the hardworking families of #Tx21 & the commonsense values that make Texas everything Washington is not."

A spokesman for the National Republican Campaign Committee also ripped Davis.

"It's beyond parody that Wendy Davis is attempting to make her political comeback in a district she lost by 20 points last time around," said the spokesman, Bob Salera. "Texans resoundingly rejected Davis and her socialist agenda five years ago, and will do so again in 2020."

Davis began her political career in Fort Worth, where she moved after graduating from Harvard Law School. She served on the Fort Worth City Council and then spent six years as a state senator representing portions of Tarrant County.

Her turn in the Legislature is best known for her successful 13-hour filibuster over abortion restrictions.

The episode elevated her to new political heights, capturing the attention of even then-President Barack Obama. But Republicans ended up passing the legislation in question in a subsequent special session, and Davis ended up getting thumped by Abbott in the 2014 governor's race.

Davis, who has since moved to Austin, continues to point to the abortion battle as a defining moment.

"I've learned that I'm at my best when I'm fighting for people," she said in an announcement video that features several clips from her filibuster. "It isn't personal achievements or failures that create change. It's working together to fight for what matters."

The forthcoming fight for Congress is likely to be an expensive affair.

Roy raised more than $412,000 in the second quarter of this year, leaving him with more than $655,000 cash on hand. And Davis will first have to defeat a pair of fellow Democrats, Bruce Boville and Jennie Lou Leeder.

But Davis' campaign manager, Malcolm Phelan, said on Monday that Davis has the "unique ability to raise the necessary resources to run an aggressive campaign," according to a note he sent to surrogates and supporters.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is also expected to be involved in the battle. Avery Jaffe, a DCCC spokesman, said on Monday that "every day Congressman Roy spends in Washington he turns more into a creature of the swamp, embarrassing himself and his constituents."

Tom Benning reported from Washington. Sara Coello reported from Dallas.