SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCBD) -- Dorchester County Councilman Jay Byars is expected to launch a bid for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District on Wednesday, joining a crowded field of Republicans hoping to become the Lowcountry's next representative in Congress.

He is expected to make a formal announcement at 10 a.m. at Ashley River Park in Summerville.

Byars' anticipated entrance comes months after he first publicly expressed interest in the seat, writing in April that the country was at a “crucial inflection point,” and the district needed a leader with strong conservative values.

“We need leaders who speak softly but carry a big stick, who will fight against the leftist anti-American agenda, who also know how to build bridges of common ground for the good of the community,” he wrote

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