ROSEMOUNT — A freshman Republican legislator says he hopes to tap into a robust Minnesota network for presidential candidate Ron Paul as part of a newly announced bid for U.S. Senate.

State Rep. Kurt Bills joined the race Thursday in his hometown of Rosemount. The high school economics teacher says he wants to bring “economics 101” to Washington.

The incumbent, Democrat Amy Klobuchar, is seeking her second term.

Bills has libertarian leanings and was a prominent in-state backer of Paul before the state’s February precinct caucuses. Paul finished second in Minnesota’s straw ballot, and many of his backers could be state convention delegates.

Others in the race include former state Rep. Dan Severson and war veteran Pete Hegseth, both of whom are vying for the Republican nomination.