Democrats in the 47th state House District endorsed Lisbon Board of Education member Dave Nowakowski on Wednesday to challenge incumbent state Rep. Doug Dubitsky, R-Chaplin, in the sprawling district that runs from Norwich to Brooklyn.

Nowakowski, 57, and his family run the Sunfox Campground in Lisbon. Nowakowski is a former teacher in Griswold and former volleyball and wrestling coach at Griswold High School. He is still a member of the CIAC Wrestling Committee. He and his wife, Jen, have four children ranging in age from 8 to 14.

Nowakowski said he was inspired to run for state legislature by state Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague. He praised Osten’s hard work for eastern Connecticut towns and hopes to support her in the legislature.

“I’m looking to try to offer a little more of a family perspective on things,” Nowakowski said, “and trying to unseat the current incumbent.”

The newly reconfigured district covers all of Chaplin, Sprague, Scotland and Canterbury and parts of Norwich, Lisbon, Plainfield and Brooklyn.