U.S. Rep. Don Young, the nation’s longest-ever-serving Republican member of Congress, announced on Wednesday he has filed for reelection.

Young, who has held Alaska’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives since winning a 1973 special election, would be up for reelection in 2022. Last year, he beat challenger Alyse Galvin by just over nine percentage points to secure his 25th term.

The Federal Election Commission lists Republican Randy Purham as the only other candidate who has so far filed to seek the seat in 2022.

In a statement announcing the reelection bid, Young said Alaska and the nation are at a critical juncture and face many challenges, including economic hardship due to the pandemic.

Young said it “is not the time to take risks on someone untested and unproven.”

“That is why I have officially filed for reelection to serve as Congressman for All Alaska in the 118th Congress,” Young said in the statement. “I always say that this has never been about Don Young. This is about Alaska and the people who call our great state home. My constituents need and deserve representation that listens to them and brings the Alaskan perspective to DC; that has always been my mission as your Congressman. Together, we have secured many wins for Alaska. Whether it is constructing the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, strengthening the fishing industry, obtaining funding for Alaska’s infrastructure, or working together to protect Alaska Native subsistence rights and culture, I have proven how to get big things done.”

• Contact Ben Hohenstatt at (907)308-4895 or bhohenstatt@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BenHohenstatt