State Rep. Bill Cook, R-Beaufort, has decided to run for the state Senate in District 1.

Cook will not seek re-election to his House job, which he won in 2010.

It’s unclear if any area Republicans are interested in replacing Cook, who has drawn a challenge from Dare County Democrat Paul Tine.

“It would give me a little more influence as a senator to help the people of Beaufort County,” the first-term lawmaker told the Washington Daily News Friday.

“I don’t know how many years it’s been since conservative-thinking people in the east have had a conservative candidate for the Senate,” he continued. “When you think about it, it’s just been a long, long time. This is an opportunity to give those people a conservative voice to represent them.”

Cook is a retired electric-utility executive who moved to the area from Washington, D.C. He resides in the Cypress Landing community, south of the Pamlico River near Chocowinity.

Cook is the third candidate to tell the Daily News he is making a play for the District 1 position.

The other announced office-seekers are incumbent Sen. Stan White, D-Dare, and Republican Wayne Langston.

White is a former Dare County commissioner and a former state Board of Transportation member from Nags Head. His family is running his business, Stan White Realty & Construction, while he serves in the Senate.

White was appointed to serve out the unexpired term of retiring Sen. Marc Basnight, D-Dare.

Langston is a self-employed real-estate manager from Chocowinity. This would be his first run for public office.

None of these candidates has officially filed. The filing period for North Carolina candidates begins Feb. 13 and ends Feb. 29.

Cook said he’d spoken with Langston about making the transition to a Senate campaign.

“He says that the best thing for the party, and for the conservative point of view in eastern North Carolina and this part of the world, would be for me to run for this position,” Cook said.

Langston said he hadn’t decided whether he’d withdraw from the race.

“I support Bill in his move and I have a lot of respect for Bill,” he said, adding, “Obviously, I support Bill in his decision if that’s what he wants to do.”

If Langston stayed in, or some other Republican entered the field, Cook would face a primary contest. The primary is scheduled for May 8.

In a recent interview, White acknowledged District 1, newly redrawn by the GOP-led Legislature in 2011, is more Republican-friendly than the old district.

He also said he’s traveling the district extensively, learning about the needs and issues affecting the communities he represents.

“I want to continue to find out what the needs are,” he said. “I don’t know that anybody filing would change my strategy by any means at this point.”

Cook will make a public announcement about his Senate effort at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Frank’s Pizza in Washington. During that event, Hood Richardson, GOP Beaufort County commissioner, probably will announce he is seeking re-election to the county board, Richardson related.

Portions of this story first appeared Friday afternoon on the Daily News’ website.