Kevorkian Formally Announces Run For Congress

March 24, 2008, 12:46 PM EDT

SOUTHFIELD, MICH. (AP) -- Assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian has announced he's running for Congress.

If elected, he says his main priority will be promoting the Ninth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the rights it guarantees.

He's running with no party affiliation for a congressional seat now held by Republican Representative Joe Knollenberg of Bloomfield Hills representing Detroit's suburbs.

Kevorkian made his announcement Monday.

The 79 year old was released from a state prison last year after serving eight years for helping Thomas Youk, a 52 year old Oakland County man with Lou Gehrig's disease, die in 1998.

He claims to have helped at least 130 people die from 1990 until 1998.

Democrat Gary Peters also is running for the seat.