The former sheriff of Snohomish County will step up as the Republican challenger for Democratic U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen’s 2nd Congressional District seat this year.

Rick Bart, who became a Snohomish County deputy in 1972 and was the sheriff for the last 12 years before term limits kicked in, said he decided to run because people don’t seem able to trust Congress. He replaces Republican Doug Roulstone, who dropped out of the race recently to focus on his aerospace business.

The 2nd Congressional District includes Whatcom County.

“I think that Rick (Larsen) needs to have someone run against him and give him a good race,” Bart said. “And I want to go to Congress and give it a change in direction.”

Bart will have an official campaign kickoff April 15. The event was originally scheduled for March 28.

The 59-year-old father of five will have a challenge in at least the money race. Larsen, of Everett, had already raised about $700,000 by Dec. 31, according to his most recent Federal Election Commission reports.

“I’m not going to worry about that,” Bart said. “If I did I wouldn’t get much sleep.”

But Bart said he will do his best to raise cash to have more of a public debate with Larsen about “what’s going on in Congress.”