Former Republican state Sen. John Kuhn will run for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1st District. The district includes Beaufort County.

Kuhn represented Charleston and Berkeley counties in the state Senate from 2001 to 2004.

The 50-year-old Charleston attorney said he will put $250,000 of his own money into the race and campaign heavily in the county for the seat now occupied by Rep. Tim Scott, who has been appointed to replace U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint.

The married father of three describes himself as a fiscal conservative who has run two businesses: an export business on his family farm in the 1980s that shipped alfalfa to Japan, and a tax and estate planning law practice he and his wife built. The practice now includes an office in Bluffton.

"We need someone with a strong business background who will work hard to cut the budget, yet continue to provide the funding necessary to keep up with Charleston and Beaufort counties' terrific growth," Kuhn said.