PORTLAND – Charles Summers, the New England regional administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration and a former congressional candidate in Maine, has been recalled to active duty by the Navy and will soon be heading to Iraq.

Summers, who lives in Scarborough, is a lieutenant commander in the Navy Reserve, which he joined in 1996. He will report to active duty July 6 and participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom attached to Navy Strategic Communications.

Summers was the Republican candidate in an unsuccessful challenge to Democratic incumbent Tom Allen in the 2004 1st District congressional race. He became the SBA’s New England regional administrator in 2005, overseeing SBA district offices in the six-state region.