BATON ROUGE, La. (WWL/AP) - Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke says he plans to run for U.S. Senate in Louisiana.
Duke's announcement came Friday on his website.
A registered Republican, he would be seeking an open seat vacated by Republican David Vitter. He will join a crowded field of more than 20 qualifiers.
Duke's announcement comes as Louisiana is grappling with deep racial tensions after the shooting death of a black man by white police officers and the killing of three law enforcement officers by a black man.
A white supremacist, Duke served one term as a state representative representing suburban New Orleans more than two decades ago. He ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1991 against Democrat Edwin Edwards.
Duke is a convicted felon, pleading guilty in 2002 to bilking his supporters and cheating on his taxes. He spent a year in federal prison.
"I'm overjoyed to see Donald Trump, and most Americans embrace most of the issues I've championed for years," Duke said, later adding, "I've always said equal rights for all, special interests for none."
