He won 'Survivor.' This Kentucky prosecutor is now seeking to win a House election in 2022

Loyal fans of "Survivor" may recognize a candidate who has officially announced his decision to run for a Kentucky House of Representatives seat.

Nick Wilson, currently an assistant commonwealth attorney for Whitley and McCreary counties, said Tuesday he will run for the position currently held by state Rep. Regina Huff, R-Williamsburg, who is not seeking reelection.

Wilson, a Republican, was working as a public defender when he won "Survivor: David v. Goliath" in 2018, the 37th season of the popular CBS reality show in which a group of contestants on an island compete against one another in challenges for the grand prize of $1 million.

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The Whitley County High School and University of Kentucky alum also competed on the show in 2020 but did not win that year's "Survivor: Winners at War" season.

Huff, the House Education Committee chairperson, announced Monday evening that after six terms, she would not seek reelection next year to the 82nd District seat that covers Whitley County and part of Laurel County in southeastern Kentucky.

Huff also endorsed Wilson in a social media post announcing her decision to not run again in 2022.

"I feel led to public service and I love Whitley County," Wilson wrote in a statement on his candidacy that was provided to local media Tuesday night.

"Being away from our area during college, law school and 'Survivor' cemented in me how lucky and proud I am to be from our community,” Wilson added. “I hope to continue to serve Whitley and Southern Laurel Counties by representing our interests in Frankfort as State Representative."

Wilson, 31, also expressed gratitude for Huff in his statement.

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"I know I would have big shoes to fill, and I do not take that responsibility lightly," he wrote. "If elected, I hope to make Whitley and Laurel Counties proud."

He told The Courier Journal that when he was in law school at the University of Alabama, he lost his mother to drug addiction.

"So that really changed my outlook on my career and my ambition to become a lawyer," Wilson said, explaining how in his role as a prosecutor, he has been passionate about helping those in need get help for addiction.

"That is an issue I will always hold close to my heart," Wilson said. "These mountains have been hard hit by it."

No other candidates have officially entered the race for Huff's seat, with a primary set for May 2022 before the general election in November.

Reach Billy Kobin at bkobin@courierjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky elections: Nick Wilson of Survivor runs for Regina Huff seat