Blue Dog Democrat Rep. Heath Shuler (N.C.) next month will be the featured speaker at the Frank and Bethine Church Gala in Boise.

The state party announced Shuler, a former Washington Redskins player, will “quarterback the Super Bowl of Idaho Democratic politics” on Feb. 26.

Former Rep. Walt Minnick (D), who lost re-election last fall, called Shuler a “rising star” who can be “a model for Idaho Democrats.”

State House Minority Leader Rep. John Rusche said in a statement that Shuler’s home state of North Carolina is “very similar to Idaho.”