VALATIE, N.Y. -- There is a new face in the race for the 20th Congressional District seat. Republican and Retired Army Colonel Chris Gibson announced his campaign at an event in Valatie on Saturday.

Gibson served in the Army for 24 years, completed four combat tours in Iraq and earned several military decorations. He most recently commanded humanitarian operation after the earthquake in Haiti. Gibson says less government taxing and spending will be the key focuses of his campaign.

"I’m obviously very passionate about the country having defended it for 24 years and now I look out and I feel like something needs to be done. We've got to get this tax and spending situation under control. Taxes are entirely too high, we're not going to have the growth that we want,” said Chris Gibson, (R) 20th district candidate.

Gibson holds an MPA and PH-D in Government from Cornell University and is the author of "Securing the State," a book on national security decision-making. He joins three other republicans in the race, Dan Stec, David Harper, and Patrick Ziegler.