Update 4:55 p.m. Assemblyman Paul Cook, R-Yucca Valley, explained his reasons for abandoning a run for San Bernardino County supervisor in the Third District, and running for Congress in the new 8th District instead.

"I'm pretty passionate about veterans and I think we can get some things done at the federal level," Cook said in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon.

"The biggest thing is Jerry Lewis retired. In September it didn't look like he would. When he announced his retirement in January it changed the complexion for that whole area.

"It's a real opportunity and it's going to be a fight, but we're excited about it," Cook said. "I've been talking to people in Bishop and Mono County, and I plan to go up and visit next month."

Cook said he's received 60 to 65 endorsements so far, from people including the mayors of Yucca Valley, Yucaipa, Highland, Twentynine Palms, and Apple Valley.

Posted 3:25 p.m. The state assemblyman for the San Gorgonio Pass area announced Tuesday he is running run for Congress in the newly-formed 8th District in November 2012.

Assemblyman Paul Cook, R-Yucca Valley, is termed out in the State Assembly, and has decided against running for San Bernardino County supervisor in the Third District, an intention he announced in September 2011.

The new 8th Congressional District contains the community Pass-area community of Yucaipa, the Morongo Valley, the high desert of San Bernardino County, and stretches north to include Mono and Inyo counties.

"We face three major challenges in this country: jobs, the national debt, and government's inability to control spending and to balance the budget," Cook said in his announcement.

"I've worked hard to lower taxes and make California a better place for business, and I've been a tireless advocate for veterans. Military and veterans seem to be a low priority with this administration, but I won't let Washington replicate the past, where they forgot about veterans returning from Vietnam. . . .

"In Congress, we need to lower the debt and clean things up," Cook said. "People have lost faith in government, especially folks in San Bernardino County. With all of the scandal and corruption, I want to help restore integrity and honesty. We need someone who isn't afraid to take on difficult issues."

Cook is a retired U.S. Marine Corps colonel and current Chairman of the Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee in the California Legislature.

Cook served 26 years in the Marine Corps, ending his military career as an infantry officer stationed at Twentynine Palms Marine Base. His military decorations include a Bronze Star for combat bravery and two Purple Hearts while serving in Vietnam.