Former Michigan Supreme Court justice Robert Young Jr. has officially launched his campaign for U.S. Senate in Michigan.
In a video announcement streamed live over Facebook on Wednesday, the 66-year-old Republican said he'll seek the 2018 nomination for the seat held by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat.
"I have the experience and the guts to know how to unseat Debbie Stabenow. I am the disrupter that [Washington] DC needs," Young said.
Young, who served on the high court for 17 years before stepping down in April, says he's "not a politician." He says he's a judge who's "going to lay down the law" in Washington.
"My experience as a chief justice and a judge helps me understand how to stop sanctuary cities and illegal immigration, and how to make our community safer and secure," Young said.
Young last week disclosed his Senate plans last week at a meeting of local Republicans in Midland.
He describes himself as a black, conservative Republican and says those words are "almost never spoken in the English language."
Lena Epstein, co-owner of Vesco Oil Corp. in Southfield, is also running for the Republican nomination.