Detroit, MI (LifeNews.com) -- Convicted murderer and assisted suicide crusader Jack Kevorkian made his candidacy for a Detroit-area Congressional seat official on Monday. Kevorkian says his main agenda as a member of the august body would be promoting the Ninth Amendment as allowing a right to assisted suicide.

State law required Kevorkian to gather 3,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot and he turned in papers with those signatures to local election officials.

Kevorkian didn't say much else about assisted suicide during the formal press announcement but accused the current government of being tyrannical.

''You've been trained to obey it, not fight it because the tyrant doesn't like that,'' Kevorkian said, according to an AP report.

"I have no ties, no fetters. I am free," the former pathologist added, saying he is beholden to no so-called special interests.

He will run as an independent and will challenge pro-life Rep. Joe Knollenberg, a Republican who strongly opposes both abortion and euthanasia. Gary Peters, a former state senator and a Democrat, will also be seeking Michigan's 9th Congressional district seat in the November election.

Kevorkian has admitted to killing more than 130 people, including the televised death of Thomas Youk, netting him a 25-year prison sentence.

Earlier this month, when he announced he was considering the race, Kevorkian said, "We need some honesty and sincerity instead of corrupt government in Washington."

"I plan to" run as an independent, he said. "I wouldn't do this otherwise."

Oakland County Prosecutor Dave Gorcyca, the prosecutor who sent Kevorkian to prison, told the Oakland Press he thinks the campaign is a "publicity stunt."

"It's probably more of a publicity stunt. To call attention to himself is standard protocol for Jack when he doesn't have the limelight focused on him. I would not consider his candidacy to be a legitimate one," he said.

Democrats have targeted Knollenberg and Kevorkian's candidacy may have the effect of peeling some Democratic votes away from the party's eventual nominee.

During his race, Kevorkian will have to watch what he says because the terms of his parole, after serving just seven years of the sentence, prohibit him from advising people how to kill themselves. His parole officer will be monitoring the content of his speeches.

Michigan law doesn't prevent ex-convicts from running for office or from voting as is the case in some other states. However, Kevorkian is still on parole until June 2009.