In what is his first foray into politics, Republican Ben Carson has announced his intent to run for president in 2016.
Carson, a former neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital, made the announcement earlier today at his launch event in Detroit.
“I’m not a politician,” he said at the event. “I don’t want to be a politician because politicians do what is politically expedient. I want to do what’s right.”
Despite never having held public office before, Carson is highly respected among the right wing and members of the tea party. But his extremely conservative views, on issues such as gay marriage and the economy, have isolated him from many Democrats. While he hasn’t announced his platforms yet, previous statements he has made suggest that he would repeal Obamacare and strengthen immigration laws.
His campaign launch coincides with former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina’s, who also announced today that she would be running in 2016. The two nominees join Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Rand Paul and Sen. Marco Rubio, who have all announced that they would be seeking the Republican nomination.