SPARTA, Wis. -- A Republican is formally launching his campaign for Wisconsin's third congressional seat currently held by Ron Kind.

Ray Boland held a campaign kick-off event Thursday night in Sparta. He is a former Wisconsin secretary of veterans affairs and former garrison commander at Fort McCoy.

He says his priorities are stopping runaway and wasteful government spending and working to balance the budget. "The start-point to solve all our economic woes, I believe, is balancing the federal budget.  As long as we continue to borrow, we continue to add to the national debt.  We have a mounting national debt that is very, very dangerous," says Boland.

The election will be during the November general election.