State Rep. Brian Wallace, a South Boston Democrat whose district includes a part of Uphams Corner, may face a challenger at the ballot box next year: local Democratic activist Michael McGee.

McGee, a South Boston attorney, was a campaign coordinator in Ward 6 for Michael Flaherty’s mayoral bid and organized volunteers for Barack obama’s presidential campaign. McGee said he hoped to start a neighborhood discussion on local issues such as crime and education. “I got a big bug for hitting doors and organizing people,” he said. “I think the debate and bringing those issues to the forefront is healthy to the neighborhood. It’s not about Brian.”

Wallace was also a Flaherty backer, which McGee called a “courageous” move. Wallace was one of the few state representatives who backed Flaherty's mayoral campaign.

McGee said he has spoken with Wallace, who told him he’s running again.

One big difference between the two of them: McGee isn’t wild about casinos, citing “negative ills” such as compulsive gambling and accompanying drug activity and violence. Wallace, along with state Rep. Marty Walsh (D-Savin Hill), is a staunch backer of casinos. McGee says that while he opposes casinos in urban areas, he is open to siting one in a less urban part of Massachusetts.

Elected in 2002, Wallace serves on the Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse and the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.