State Sen. Mike Parry, R-Waseca, will be in Austin Thursday as part of a kickoff tour for his 2012 congressional run.

Parry is challenging Rep. Tim Walz, a democrat, for the 1st District congressional seat.

Parry will be at the Coffee House on Main at 1:30 p.m. Thursday to talk to locals and meet with area Republicans. He will also make stops in Winona, Owatonna, Albert Lea, New Ulm and Mankato, among other towns in the district.

“When I speak to southern Minnesotans, there’s one thing I hear more than any other: Washington is broken,” Parry said in a news release. “I’m running for Congress because Congressman Tim Walz and the Washington crowd have sold us out.”

The state senator goes on to say the current U.S. Congress has mortgaged Americans’ futures with wasteful spending, and he hopes to bring fiscal responsibility to Washington.

For more on Parry’s visit, look to Thursday’s Herald and www.austindailyherald.com.