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MESA - State Rep. Russell Pearce has announced the formation of a Congressional campaign exploratory committee, the first formal step toward a run for Congress.

The move allows the Mesa Republican to raise money for a run at Arizona's 6th Congressional District while retaining his office in the state House of Representatives.

If he chooses to go for it, Pearce would face Jeff Flake, a fellow Republican who will be seeking a fifth term in the seat next year. The 6th District includes parts of Mesa and Chandler, plus all of Gilbert, Queen Creek and Apache Junction.

Pearce, author of several Arizona immigration laws, said he agrees with Flake about 80 percent of the time, but that he sharply disagrees with him on immigration issues. He noted that Flake supported a Senate bill this year that would have paved the way to citizenship for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country.

Pearce said he will offer voters a clear voice against "amnesty" for illegal immigrants.

"What needs to be done is resources, enforce the law. We don't need immigration reform. That's just the code word for amnesty," Pearce said. "I mean, everybody that uses that term, they're not looking at it honestly. It's deceitful. It's dishonest."

On his campaign Web site, Pearce writes that the immigration battle has to be fought in Washington, D.C., and that's why he wants to go there.

Flake said if Pearce runs for Congress against him next year, he looks forward to what he's sure will be a "spirited campaign."

Flake had more than $581,000 in his campaign chest in his latest Federal Election Commission filing.

Pearce said he will need at least $500,000 to mount a serious campaign. "Our first goal is to raise $25,000 to pay for critical research and polling so that we can be sure that this race is winnable," he wrote on his Web site.