A Washington Realtor is competing for voters’ blessings in state House District 6.

Republican Jerry Evans, owner of Century 21-The Realty Group in Washington, on Wednesday night announced his intention to run for the legislative seat.

“As a registered Republican, it is important to have someone in Raleigh that understands how critical it is to bring jobs to Beaufort, Dare, Washington and Hyde Counties and I am willing to work hard to make this happen,” Evans conveyed in an email. “Eastern North Carolina has always been my home, born and raised here — so I truly understand the real issues that need to be addressed in Raleigh.”

Another contender for the District 6 job is Paul Tine, a Democrat from Kitty Hawk.

Rep. Bill Cook, R-Beaufort, currently holds the position, but he has chosen to run for state Senate, removing the weight of his incumbency from the field.

In 2010, Evans ran for a seat on the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners as a Democrat. He came in fourth in a six-way race for three available seats, and didn’t capture a slot on the county board.

Evans garnered 12.08 percent of the vote, or 1,877 votes, the State Board of Elections’ website reads.

He switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party in March 2011, county elections records show.

Evans suggested the switch was well within his comfort zone, pointing out he was a registered Republican for years before moving into the Democratic camp.

“I’ve got very conservative values, fiscally conservative values,” he told the Washington Daily News in an interview, adding he was counting on support from members of both major parties.

“I’m running to be a part of the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives,” he said. “I know those guys have done a good job. I’ve kind of been watching, but there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done. I want to be a part of that team.”

Evans estimates he’ll have to raise $75,000 to mount a successful campaign.

He resides in Washington with his wife, Brenda. The couple have two children — both adults — named Neal and Brian.

Tine is scheduled to make his “official” campaign announcement at 1 p.m. Nov. 19 at the Beaufort County Board of Elections’ offices in Washington.

Tine was unsurprised at the threat of opposition.

“I didn’t think that I’d be the only one in there,” he said.

He said he didn’t know Evans and knew nothing about his policies.

“We’ll find out what he has to say,” Tine commented. “We’re still in the race and excited about it.”

District 6 takes in most of Beaufort County north of the Pamlico River plus all of Hyde, Dare and Washington counties.

The filing period for North Carolina offices runs Feb. 13 through Feb. 29.

Portions of this story first appeared Wednesday night on the Daily News’ website.