A first-term Gorham town councilor who won a decisive victory in an eight-way race for three Gorham town council seats last fall will challenge incumbent state Sen. Phil Bartlett.

Phil Csoros, a Republican, is running for the District 6 seat held by Bartlett, a Democrat, since 2004.

Csoros said he is running because of a need for new leadership that will “bring about real positive change for the people of Maine.”

“Augusta has become dysfunctional,” Csoros said. “I want to go to Augusta and bring accountability back to public service.”

Csoros said he disagrees with Bartlett’s vote supporting new taxes on beer, wine and soda to help fund Dirigo Health, the state health insurance program that covers 18,000 people.

Bartlett, contacted this week, said he stands by his vote. “It’s important to understand that the choice was either to continue to see tax on health insurance continue to climb or to try and move some of that burden from the health insurance premiums to a different area,” he said. “It’s a little easier in times of trouble to give up wine and soda than health insurance.”

In terms of other issues, both Bartlett and Csoros agree that Maine government is too big and needs to be scaled down.

“Any time you create legislation, you create enforcement issues,” Csoros said. “That not only gets expensive for the state to enforce it, but it also gets expensive to stay within compliance with it.”

Bartlett said he has voted in every budget vote to decrease the size of government.

“We’ve slowed the growth of government and we’re reducing the size of every thing every single year,” Bartlett said.

Csoros began his political career last fall when he won a seat on the Gorham Town Council. He said his decision to seek higher office was difficult, but one he ultimately had to make.

“I looked at things such as being an airline pilot for American Airlines, teaching finance for Embry Riddle (Aeronautical University) in October or running for state Senate, and realized any of those choices were good,” Csoros said. “It was a big battle of weighing all these different things … I looked at things and gave it a very careful look and this is what (my family) decided was the best thing.”

Csoros, a Maine native, lives in Gorham with his wife Tammy and their four children.

In other local races, Daniel J. LeVasseur, a Gorham Democrat, will be running against Republican Jane S. Knapp of Gorham for the House District 129 seat that Chris Barstow, D-Gorham, is giving up.

In District 130, Linda F. Sanborn, a Democrat from Gorham, will face Gorham Republican Norman E. Justice Jr. Democrat David W. Farrington will not be seeking re-election for the seat.

In District 131, Buxton Democrat Robert B. Hunt will face Republican incumbent Donald G. Marean of Hollis. Election Day is Nov. 4.

Csoros challenges Bartlett for state Senate seat