ROME, N.Y. (WKTV) - The Democrat challenger seeking to unseat current Republican Congressman Richard Hanna visited the district Tuesday morning.

Democrat Dan Lamb spoke at Revere Copper and Brass in the City of Rome, alongside representatives from the union and from management, both of whom support Lamb's candidacy.

“Revere is succeeding in the global marketplace because of their strong leadership and because they produce a superior product that is the best in the world,” Lamb said. “We should encourage more of this type of industry, and we can do it by ending unfair trade deals and stopping illegal currency manipulation. Upstate New York is littered with empty factories, but it doesn’t have to be. By restoring a level playing field, we can encourage more companies like Revere to plant deep roots in places like Rome, Utica and Binghamton. It’s an economic imperative for this region, and it will create thousands of new jobs.”

The democrat challenger was at Revere to talk about the top priority of his campaign: jobs. Specifically, unfair trade practices that Lamb says have cost the U.S. tens of thousands of jobs as well as factories.

"What I'm calling for is a review of these trade deals to make sure that we're not giving foreign countries such an overwhelming advantage when it goes to the marketplace for our products," says Lamb.

Lamb seeks to unseat current Republican Congressman Richard Hanna in the newly-created 22nd Congressional District.

“Richard Hanna supports the export packages signed into law by President Obama," said Hanna Spokeswoman Renee Gamela. "The New York Farm Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce support them because they will boost Upstate agricultural and manufacturing exports to new markets – and that creates jobs in the Mohawk Valley, bringing $30 million every year to New York farms alone. Richard Hanna agrees with the President who called the trade agreements ‘a major win for American workers and businesses.’ The simple fact is we have the best companies and workers in the world, but 95 percent of consumers live outside our borders so we need to reach them and compete for their business.

“Richard Hanna supports addressing Chinese currency rates in a deliberate, comprehensive manner that best protects American consumers and businesses from unfair practices while respecting our international agreements. The Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act has not yet received a hearing, and Richard supports moving the bill forward through this regular order to ensure the bill best addresses today’s economic conditions.”