Former University of Tennessee and NFL quarterback Heath Shuler won a congressional Democratic primary Tuesday in North Carolina.
Shuler notched 77 percent to beat Michael Morgan, with 62 percent of votes tallied.
He'll face Republican incumbent Charles Taylor, representing the 11th District, who handled opponent John Armor by taking 81 percent of the votes tallied.
Shuler is expected to give Taylor, a veteran representative criticized for his ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, a strong run on the general ballot.
Taylor, however, has survived a number of Democratic challenges during his 16-year tenure.
"This is the year," Shuler said Tuesday night. "We continue to see the trend that he has in his votes. He doesn't reflect our family values, the people in our district or the direction our country should be going."