The odds are against Fairhaven’s Abilio “Bill” Soares in the Nov. 4 election, but the former scallop fisherman-turned-business owner said he’s forging ahead.

“I never thought I’d be going into politics at 63 years old. This is when I should be retiring, but someone has to speak up and bring up the issues,” Soares said.

Soares’ opponent, Rep. Bill Straus (D-Mattapoisett,) has represented the 10th Bristol District for 22 years. The district encompasses Fairhaven, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester and a handful of New Bedford neighborhoods.

Two years ago, Soares lost the election to Straus when he ran as a Democrat, and he was beaten by a decisive margin. This year, Soares is running as a Republican candidate.

“People down here have on blinders that were put on by the Democratic Party,” he said. Unsatisfied with his opponent’s voting record on a number of issues, Soares said his campaign offers voters an alternative.

Bringing passenger rail service back to the area would be on his agenda, if elected, as Soares said it would boost tourism.

Though Soares supports The South Coast Rail project, he said leaders should aim higher. The $2.2 billion initiative would restore passenger service from Boston’s South Station to New Bedford and other South Coast cities.

“Why didn’t we go to our congressional delegation and tell them to subsidize an Amtrak connection with Providence?” he said. “That would put Fall River and New Bedford back on the map and connect us with the rest of the country.”

Also on Soares’ list is bringing business to New Bedford. While the city’s manufacturing base left long ago, he envisions attracting distribution centers to use New Bedford as a base to ship goods across the country using the city’s rail lines and port.

Soares said the region should look to the future, without forgetting its past. Marion and Mattapoisett attract many for being the small towns that they are, he said.

“Marion is a beautiful coastal town and it should be left as it is. There’s no need to bring in a McDonald’s,” Soares said. “Residents like it the way it is, and I like it the way it is.”

There’s rich history, from New Bedford’s whaling past to East Over Farm in Rochester, that should be promoted to outsiders, he said.

Born in Portugal, Soares and his family came to the U.S. when he was three years old.

He worked on a scallop boat for eight years before becoming a seafood broker. At 36, Soares earned an economics degree from UMass Dartmouth. He currently operates a computer repair store in Fairhaven.

With only $35 in funding according to the latest campaign finance disclosures, Soares said he’s been knocking on doors to get the word out about his campaign.

If elected, he said he would bring his independent brand of politics to Beacon Hill.

“I feel very passionate about what I’m doing. I know the difference between right and wrong...I’m tough. I’m streetwise. I’m a scalloper,” he said.