A former sailor and double amputee said Wednesday he would run next year for the 10th District congressional seat currently held by GOP Rep. Patrick McHenry.

Daniel Johnson, who has been an assistant Wake County prosecutor for the past three years, will seek the Democratic nomination to challenge McHenry.

Johnson, 31, moved back to his native Hickory this month.

"I promise to rise above the divisive politics that have plagued our government for too long, and focus on representing the values and priorities of North Carolina," Johnson said in a news release.

As a Navy ensign, Johnson received the Navy's highest peacetime award for bravery when he rescued a fellow sailor entangled in a rope connecting a Navy ship to a tugboat off the South Korean coast.