Although the next congressional election is more than a year away, an Erie Democrat on Thursday announced he's running against incumbent Mike Kelly.

Preston Nouri kicked off his campaign, speaking at the United Steelworkers Hall on French St. in Erie.

Nouri, a Fairview and Pitt grad, laid out his stances on everything from education to the economy, calling for change in the 16th District.

"I've got friends and family here who are working their butt off, and they're working 60 some hours a week, but they're still not making rent here in just Erie, Pennsylvania, which is about $1,500 to $1,600 per month," said Nouri. "We need to be able to bring back opportunities for family sustaining wages here to be able to have a future here."

Kelly, a Republican, has already announced his plans to run for an 8th term in Congress.