CHESTERFIELD • Dr.  Randy Jotte, whose last two bids for elected office have fallen short, is tossing his ambitions into an already intense GOP Congressional primary.

Jotte, the third Republican in the race for the newly redrawn Second Congressional District, kicked off his campaign Tuesday morning in Chesterfield.

"I'm running on the Republican ticket but, frankly, I'm tired of labels," said Jotte, 52, an emergency room physician and former Webster Groves councilman.

Jotte held his announcement in front of the carousel at Faust Park to reflect, he says, the current "circus" atmosphere in American politics.

"People have had enough," Jotte said. "They are ready to stop the merry-go-ride."

The new boundaries of the Second District -- currently represented by Todd Akin, who is running for Senate -- include most of St. Louis County and parts of Jefferson and St. Charles counties.

The Republican primary currently includes Ann Wagner, the well-funded former ambassador and state party chair, and Ed Martin, who almost managed an upset victory over Russ Carnahan in 2010.

That would appear to leave Jotte, who lost a race for State House in 2008 and a campaign for county council in 2010, little room for victory in 2012.

To help close the gap, Jotte suggested on Tuesday he may contribute some of his own money to the race.

Jotte, a graduate of Harvard Medical School, works at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Medicare spending, he said, will be a key focus of his campaign.

"Health care costs is the biggest challenge to balancing our budget, to bringing our nation forward," Jotte said.