MONETA — Jim McKelvey has announced his bid to become the next congressman for Virginia’s Fifth District.

“I am a constitutional fiscal conservative,” he said in an open letter to voters.

“I am a self-made, self-employed businessman who will lead the fight to restore our constitution. Most importantly, I live by the creed ‘You spend less than you take in.’ Politicians live by a different creed; if something isn’t working [they] throw money at it.”

McKelvey, of Moneta, is seeking the Republican Party nomination.

U.S. Rep. Robert Hurt, a Republican, announced in December that he wouldn’t seek re-election after three terms in the House.

“I will lead by not accepting health coverage or retirement. I will lead by declaring that I will not seek a fifth term,” he said in the letter.

According to his website, McKelvey has actively supported the Republican candidates and has been involved with Tea Party groups in his career in the past.

The election is in November.