There could be a Democratic primary between a university professor and a labor union official for the 24th Congressional District seat held by Republican Sherwood Boehlert of New Hartford.

On Wednesday, Brian Goodell, 43, of Ithaca, announced he is running against Boehlert.

Goodell is employed by Cornell University in the transportation department. He is president of United Auto Workers Local 2300.

Also Wednesday, Jeff Miller, an associate professor of communications at Utica College, said he has an exploratory committee testing the waters to see if a run is feasible.

Both men are Democrats.

Miller, 35, of New Hartford, sounded like a candidate when he said people have been urging him to run to address 20 years of constant, steady job losses.

"The only person with any job security has been Sherwood Boehlert," Miller said.

Boehlert is a 22-year incumbent. After the 2000 Census, district lines were redrawn and his new district came to include most of Cayuga County as well as all of Seneca, and counties to the east, west and south in Central New York.

Boehlert, a moderate Republican, was nearly defeated in the Republican primary in 2002 by then-Cayuga County Legislator Dr. David Walrath. Walrath ran against Boehlert in the general election on the Conservative line, and lost in a landslide. Walrath chose not to run for another term on the county Legislature in 2003; he has not said if he will make another try at Congress.

There was no Democratic candidate in 2002. In the district, Republicans outnumber Democrats by more than 42,000.

Goodell said he's running to represent working men and women.

"The 24th District needs a representative who can relate to working families," said Goodell, who is married and has five children. "I am a blue-collar worker who has worked hard to support my family my entire life."

Besides holding the position of union president, Goodell has also been steward and zone representative. He has experience lobbying for workers' rights in Albany and Washington, D.C.

"Our current congressman's voting record would lead you to believe he's from Wall Street, New York, and not upstate New York," he said.

"Working men and women represent the 24th Congressional District. It's time somebody represents them."

Miller and Goodell have met once, when Miller said he heard Goodell speak, but the two don't know each other.

Miller, married with two children, described himself as "one of the rare young people" left in the Mohawk Valley.

"We haven't just suffered the loss of jobs, but of young people between the ages of 25 and 34, according the U.S. Census," Miller said.

He is not sure when he will make an official announcement regarding his candidacy. There are many people working on his committee, including other professors.

"It's not something I'm going to jump into without knowing, but there may well be a Democratic primary," he said.

Goodell said the possibility of a primary is bothersome because Boehlert is so entrenched that unseating him could prove to be expensive.

"It's going to take a lot to get the job done, and I hate to see it split," Goodell said.