Chess Bedsole, a criminal court judge who worked on Donald Trump's presidential campaign and advised incoming U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, announced his candidacy Thursday for Alabama attorney general.

Bedsole, who was a lawyer for the Trump campaign and Sessions, took a swipe at the incumbent, Steve Marshall, in a press release announcing his campaign. Marshall was appointed to the post by then-Gov. Robert Bentley after Bentley appointed then-attorney general Luther Strange to Sessions' Senate seat.

"We need an attorney general who neither asked for, nor took anything from Gov. Bentley and his cronies. I have clean hands and I am the only candidate who can say that," Bedsole said. "Therefore, I won't have to recuse myself or get a special prosecutor to do my job for me."

As senior counsel to the incoming Justice Department, Bedsole said he worked on implementing Trump's and Sessions' policies, including securing the border and protecting the Second Amendment.

Bedsole said he has a "record of swift justice" as a criminal court judge, noting that he sided with police in efforts to combat drug sales and worked with local charities and churches to help young victims of domestic violence.

"I'm running for attorney general to aggressively lower violent crime in our cities, cut illegal drug sales in the state, empower our law enforcement community with more resources and less red tape and to restore integrity to the office," he said.

Bedsole also put his legal background toward helping Republicans in tight recount battles, including then-presidential candidate George W. Bush and then-gubernatorial candidate Bob Riley.

"I have a long history of fighting for conservative values," Bedsole said. "I didn't just become a Republican yesterday. My resume is built on hard work over decades, not from corrupt deal-making."