Air Force veteran and Hicksville native Greg Hach announced Tuesday his bid for New York’s 3rd congressional district as a Republican candidate, who said he is running to restore integrity in the district’s office in the wake of Rep. George Santos’ election.

“I am running for Congress because honorable third district voters were conned by a crook and serial liar. I am running to restore integrity to an office that’s been corroded by fraud,” Hach said in a press release. “It’s time to elect a principled, conservative public servant with the experience and the toughness to take on the liberals in Washington and get things done. The road to solving these problems will not be easy and our shared goals will not be reached overnight. But I will work tirelessly to earn the trust and support of third district voters and represent them honorably in Congress.”

The 3rd Congressional District is currently represented by Santos, who is currently being investigated by the House Ethics Committee and pleaded not guilty to a 13-count federal indictment alleging multiple counts of wire fraud and money laundering.

Santos could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the top charges.

Hach is facing up against fellow Republican candidates Mike Sapraicone, a retired NYPD detective and Oyster Bay resident, and Kellen Curry, an Afghanistan war veteran and former vice president at J.P. Morgan, in their bid to oust Santos.

Hach said in a press release that his campaign will focus on the main issues affecting the lives of district’s constituents. This includes crime, economic uncertainty and inflation, immigration and national security.

His campaign has been endorsed by International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 30, a trade union representing operating engineers.

William Lynn, Local 30 business manager, financial secretary and International Union of Operating Engineers vice president expressed his support for Hach.

“Greg Hach is the best candidate to represent our district in Congress, hands down,” Lynn said in the press release. “Greg is in this race for all of the right reasons and will be a force for families and workers in Washington. A man of impeccable character, Greg will represent us honorably and fight for his constituents each and every day. For these reasons, the men and women of IUOE Local 30 enthusiastically endorse Greg Hach’s candidacy for Congress.”

Hach, who currently lives in Brookville with his wife and three kids, comes from a “proud union household,” according to the press release.

Hach enlisted in the United States Air Force after graduating from high school. After serving several years in the Air Force, Hach received a bachelor’s in criminal justice at John Jay College and a law degree from Ohio Northern University.

He co-founded Hach & Rose LLP, a workplace injury law firm, after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. His firm represented victims of the terrorist attack at no cost.