LANSING, Mich. - Former U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg is facing two challengers in his bid to regain the 7th District congressional seat — Brian Rooney and Marvin Carlson.

Rooney, of Dexter, is an Iraq war veteran and an attorney at the Thomas More Law Center in Ann Arbor. He officially announced his candidacy Thursday.

His brother, Tom Rooney, is a Republican congressman from Florida. They're grandsons of Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney. Brian Rooney is on the Steelers' board.

Carlson, a retired business owner and real estate investor from Manchester, got into the GOP race in September.

The winner of the August 2010 primary will take on Democratic Rep. Mark Schauer of Battle Creek next November. Independent candidate Scott Aughney of Jackson also is in the race.

Schauer, a former state senator, unseated Walberg, of Tipton, in a hard-fought contest last year. Walberg announced in July that he'd try to win back the seat, which he held for two years after beating more moderate Republican incumbent Joe Schwarz in the 2006 GOP primary and then besting a little-known Democrat.

Republicans hope they can take back the 7th District seat, which covers an area stretching from Eaton County just west of Lansing south through Battle Creek, Jackson, Adrian and Hillsdale.

Republican Mike Nofs of Battle Creek on Tuesday won the state Senate seat Schauer vacated, and state Republican Chairman Ron Weiser says the GOP message resonates with district voters.

The race already is attracting attention from the White House.

Vice President Joe Biden will be in Detroit on Monday at a Michigan Democratic Party fundraising breakfast to benefit Schauer and fellow Democratic congressional freshman Gary Peters of Oakland County's Bloomfield Township.