The next election for the 29th District seat in the House of Representatives is still a good year and a half away. But Democrats are already salivating at the prospect of winning the seat away from Republican incumbent Randy Kuhl.

Their first fight will probably be within their own party, however. Corning Democrat Eric Massa, who narrowly lost to Kuhl in 2006, has said he will run again. And Pittsford Democrat David Nachbar plans to run, too.

Party members are already picking sides. At least eight county and local committees in the district - including the Penfield, Perinton, and Mendon town committees and Steuben, Schuyler, and Allegany County Committees have already lined up behind Massa. Even Nachbar's Pittsford Committee has endorsed Massa. So far, the Monroe County committee has stayed neutral.

Nachbar has taken heat for the challenge to Massa, particularly in the blogosphere. Several political blogs have criticized the pair for drawing money and manpower away from Massa's campaign. Bloggers have not been shy about saying that to win the 29th, a candidate needs to be from the Southern Tier.

At the same time, another website (nachbarfan.googlepages.com/home) urges Nachbar to start talking about his candidacy instead of "keeping quiet."

Many local Democratic leaders, including county Chairman Joe Morelle, wanted to see Nachbar challenge County Executive Maggie Brooks. As a senior vice president for human resources at Bausch and Lomb, his business experience would have made him an attractive candidate, they have said.

But Nachbar says his business background is part of what makes him a strong candidate for the House. And his corporate experience clearly influences his take on the issues. He says taxes should be reduced and resources refocused on education - especially training a skilled workforce for the area's growing high-tech and green-technology industries.

Like many other Democrats seeking office in 2008, Nachbar wants universal health insurance. (He wants to the health-care system to remain privately operated.) He wants to see an end to the Iraq war, which he calls a "military success and a political failure."

And Nachbar faults Kuhl on those issues. "He ducks and runs from questions, he ducks and runs from issues, and I think people have had enough," Nachbar says.

In a recent interview, Nachbar talked about his decision to enter the House race. Following is an edited transcript of that conversation.

City: Did you consider a run for county executive?

Nachbar: I was asked about it, but not as a matter of substituting one race for another per se. The issues that I'm focused on and really want to make a difference in solving are those issues which are on a regional and national basis. The overlap between those issues which are local and national is tremendous at this point. You know: job creation; health care; our friends, family members, neighbors who are in Iraq; greater accountability in government - those are areas of dramatic, dramatic overlap. But for me, the question I think one has to ask is, Where do you think you can make the greatest impact? Where do you think you can serve the best?

A number of local Democratic committees, including Pittsford's, have endorsed Eric Massa.

I have not asked any committee within the 29th District for endorsements. I think it's silly. The fact of the matter is that none of the committees have met with me. Until there is an opportunity to hear out candidates on where they stand on all the issues and to make a fair comparison, I don't see how any committee or any organization or anybody's going to be able to make an adequate decision. This is America, and this is democracy, and candidates need to be heard out. And in this case, ironically, I guess that makes me more a candidate of the people versus being a candidate of the machine.

Do you think that as the race progresses any of the committees will change their minds?

I think so. And that's the reason I think we cannot hold any of the committees' feet to the fire about early discussions they may have had. We're 17 months away. I think once voters in the 29th District get to know me, what I stand for, what I'm passionate about, they're going to come to their own conclusion.

Some have said that a candidate from the northern tip of this district will have a tough time winning over Southern Tier voters.

I think somebody who wants to be hired as a representative for all the 654,000 people who live in the district has got to think of the needs of people throughout the district. It's not a matter of being a representative only of the Southern Tier or only of Monroe County or Ontario County in the north. Our Congressional district is very diverse. The needs are very widespread.

How do you respond to criticism that your candidacy will rob Democrats of money and manpower and that it will ultimately hurt Democrats' ability to take the seat?

Elections are good. Choice is good. It tests candidates, it vets them, it makes sure that all of the arguments are heard, and it makes sure that the voters are well-informed. This is not the old communist Soviet Union, this is America. This is about candidates, this is about open debate, and this is about having people who are going to get into the mix. And I think all of that's a good thing.

How will you appeal to voters in the district?

Once people get to know me, they'll understand that I'm the only candidate in the race who understands what it's like to create jobs. The other candidates are government employees and have been that way. Understanding what it takes to create jobs and build a strong economic base is an important thing. I've been able to create jobs in this area. I know what it takes. I understand what it means to be able to talk with businesses and business owners about why this area is attractive.

What's wrong with Randy Kuhl? Why not re-elect him?

I think Randy Kuhl is a heck of a nice guy. I think if you want somebody who would be entertaining and probably kind of fun to be around, he'd be a pretty good guy. The fact of the matter is, you get to this point and you ask yourself, "Have you had enough?" The evidence really is clear. We're long since over the threshold where we say we have not seen any progress, and we need some fresh ideas and somebody who's going to be able to drive those forward.