Tom Reynolds, Republican congressman from New York, announced Thursday he won’t be running for reelection (join the club!). He was facing an Iraq war vet, Jonathan Powers, supported by the antiwar Left (Moveon, VoteVets.org).

Powers may have a real fight in front of him – and Congressional District 26 may soon become one of the most watched races of the year. NRO learns that retired Army staff sergeant David Bellavia “is strongly considering a run for the Reynolds’ vacated congressional seat.”

You’ve probably encountered Bellavia; he has a book, House to House: An Epic Memoir of War about his service in Iraq. While there he led an infantry squad in house-to-house combat in Fallujah in 2004, for which he was nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor. He’s one of the founders of Vets for Freedom, that stalwart group of heroes who continue serving fighting – frequently congressional surrender tendencies — once back home.

And, according to the Vets for Freedom’s website, “he has founded a local Veteran’s Coordination Center that focuses on the early treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and other veteran’s-related issues and outreach programs.”

A source who knows Bellavia and the district tells me: “Currently there are other GOP candidates considering a run, however should David rapidly raise money and secure support, he is best positioned to defeat Jon Powers. This will be an election about Iraq, and we need an Iraq war veteran than can stand his ground and win the debate on Iraq.”

A young, articulate Iraq-war vet making the case for no surrender on the campaign trail and then in the halls of Congress? I’m on board.