Former KKK leader David Duke to run for Senate

David Duke, a former leader of the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan, has launched a campaign for an open seat in the US Senate from Louisiana.

“I believe in equal rights for all and respect for all Americans,” Duke said in a video posted on his website. “However, what makes me different is that I also respect and demand the respect for the rights and heritage of European Americans.”

Duke, 66, previously served as a Louisiana state lawmaker from 1989 to 1992 and had once unsuccessfully run as a Republican candidate for governor.

He will enter the race for the Senate seat vacated by David Vitter in the midst of a rise in racial tensions in Louisiana. This month, Baton Rouge police shot and killed a black man as he was being pinned to the ground. The shooting led to protests across the country, and on Sunday a black gunman shot and killed three police officers in Baton Rouge.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump drew criticism in February for failing to quickly disavow Duke’s endorsement.

“I’m overjoyed to see Donald Trump and most Americans embrace most of the issues that I’ve championed for years. My slogan remains America first,” Duke said on Friday.

David Duke, a former leader of the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan, announced his candidacy on Friday for the U.S. Senate from Louisiana, saying while he believes in equal rights for all Americans he demands respect for "European Americans."

In Louisiana, candidates from all parties are placed on the same ballot, and a run-off election is held if no candidates receives a majority of the vote. Republican Congressman Charles Boustany and state Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell, a Democrat, are considered the front-runners in the race.