Kyle Greene, who is running for the Minnesota House as an independent, has released a campaign video in which he uses a racial slur.

“I want to be your state representative, I want to be your public servant and I want to be your [N-word],” Greene says in the video he posted on his campaign website and Facebook page.

Greene, whose candidacy has not been endorsed by any party or major organization, said he decided to use the word because he wants to encourage people to focus on “the real issues at hand.”

“We need to unify as a society, and we need to stop dealing with trivial matters,” Greene said. “The word ... is part of the American history, regardless of the race. ... It’s part of my history being African-American, white and Cherokee Indian.”

He said he does not plan to broaden the reach of the video by buying digital ads on other websites.

Greene said he decided to run for the rural House seat that includes Litchfield and part of Hutchinson because he feels the incumbent, Republican Rep. Dean Urdahl, has been ignoring what he believes is judicial corruption. The system is incarcerating people who shouldn’t be locked up, laws are being applied inappropriately and people are manufacturing convictions to advance their careers, he said.

Greene, an organic farmer who lives near Grove City, said he is drafting bills to hold members of the judicial system accountable.