Republicans are putting a renewed focus on winning Rep. Tim Walz’s 1st District seat now that he’s announced a run for Minneosta governor.

Walz defeated Republican Jim Hagedorn by less than a percentage point in November in southern Minnesota’s 1st District, where Republican Donald Trump beat Democrat Hillary Clinton by 15 points.

On Monday, Hagedorn said that the now-open U.S. House seat increases his determination after his better-than-expected showing against Walz in November, which followed defeats in 2010 and 2014. Hagedorn, whose father represented some of the area in Congress from 1975 to 1983, has spent much of his career in federal positions in Washington.

He noted the National Republican Congressional Committee last month included Walz and Nolan on its initial list of 36 targets for 2018.

“Tim Walz clearly realizes that it would be easier to run for governor than to defend the failed liberal policies of Nancy Pelosi,” NRCC spokeswoman Maddie Anderson said in a statement Monday. “We fully expect this seat to be a top pick-up opportunity for Republicans in 2018.”