Local Democrat Bruce McFarland is looking to take on Republican state Senator George Runner in the November General Election to represent a district that includes Santa Clarita, the Antelope Valley and portions of San Bernardino, Ventura and Kern counties.

"I really enjoy this community and I want to make the area better," he said Friday. "And George Runner is not doing a very good job. He may be a nice enough guy, but he's a Republican and it's a Democratic world out there."

The only public position McFarland has been elected to is his position on the Democratic Central Committee for the 38th Assembly District.

The 1966 William S. Hart High School graduate has been active in the community for the last 20 years. He was co-chairman for the Get Out the Vote campaign when the city was formed in 1987. McFarland is now the president of the Democratic Alliance for Action, which he helped found in the early 1990s.

Runner, of Lancaster, was elected in 2004 and filed his nomination papers on Feb. 15.

McFarland has filed his initial papers with the county and said he plans to complete his nomination papers by March 7.

"I really enjoy this community and I want to make this community better," he said.