Repeating "that's proven conservative leadership" as he touted his record as a four-term congressman, Mo Brooks on Monday formally kicked off his expected campaign for the U.S. Senate.

And during a campaign stop in Hoover on Monday, Brooks stood by his controversial remarks that Democrats are waging a "war on whites."

Brooks, a Republican who represents the Tennessee Valley in the House, is occasionally in the national spotlight for controversial comments, including his assertion in 2014 that Democrats are engaged in a "war on whites."

He reiterated the remark in January, when then-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions was nominated by President Donald Trump for attorney general.

On Monday, Brooks said the remark is "100 percent truthful."

"That is the name of the Democratic strategy of racial division. That's what that refers to," Brooks told reporters at the Alabama Republican Party headquarters in Hoover. "The Democrats, for decades now, have tried to divide Americans based on skin pigmentation. That is a silly, nonsense differentiation point, and I abhor the Democratic Party using that 'war on whites' campaign strategy in order to pit Americans against Americans based on nothing more than skin pigmentation. So I disagree with the Democratic Party's 'war on whites' strategy."

Brooks said the only way to stop the strategy is to "hold [Democrats] responsible at the ballot box."

"We've got major problems, and those problems are independent of ethnicity, they're independent of skin pigmentation, they're independent of chromosomes. And good ideas and bad ideas can come from any Americans, and we need to judge Americans' ideas based on the merit of the ideas, not the individuals that they come from."

Speaking first in Huntsville as part of a four-stop campaign blitz across the state, Brooks also pointed to criticism of his Senate candidacy as validation that he's a feared opponent of Luther Strange - who was appointed to the seat in February by former Gov. Robert Bentley.

The Senate Leadership Fund, in a statement Monday minutes after Brooks announced his campaign in a press release, described Brooks as a "Washington insider" who has failed to sponsor a bill that was signed into law.

The leadership fund is backing Strange, just as the National Republican Senate Committee has said it will spend whatever funds are necessary for Strange to win.

"The very fact that the Washington swamp critters are already attacking me as a candidate, I think, shows the viability of my candidacy for the United States Senate from the state of Alabama. The Washington swamp critters would not be attacking Mo Brooks if they were not concerned about my viability."

Brooks joins a crowded field for the Aug. 15 GOP primary that Republican leaders anticipate will result in a runoff. Former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, state Rep. Ed Henry, Alabama Christian Coalition President Randy Brinson and Strange have already announced their candidacies.

Del Marsh, president of the Alabama senate, is also pondering joining the race.

A runoff, if necessary, would be Sept. 26, followed by the general election on Dec. 12.

Brooks vowed to run a positive campaign and would not criticize opponents unless they first attack him. He said he saw Strange in Birmingham on Friday, told him he intended to run for Senate and the two exchanged wishes of good luck.

He is running for statewide office for the second time, having lost in the Republican primary for lieutenant governor in 2006 won by Strange. Strange then lost to Democrat Jim Folsom Jr. in the general election. Brooks endorsed George Wallace Jr., who lost to Strange in the GOP primary runoff.

Though he begins his campaign with a hefty $1.2 million campaign war chest that gives him the early fundraising lead, Brooks said he expects to be outspent by Strange during the campaign.

Surrounded by his wife Martha, children and grandchildren, Brooks pointed to his conservative stances on issues in the House and said he is the "only candidate for the Senate who has a record of proven conservative leadership."

"America's future is at risk because our country's foundational principles are under daily attack. Our republic is only as good as our elections process. America's elections are threatened by those who support voter fraud and election theft by opposing voter identification laws while encouraging non-citizens to vote in American elections."

He also pointed to the 2nd Amendment being threatened by political forces as well as moral principles and the economy.

"The solutions to America's challenges are there. The roadblocks to these solutions is, all too often, the United States Senate. In order to preserve America's status as the greatest nation in world history, we must elect senators with the understanding and backbone needed to face and defeat America's challenges.

"As you know, every election cycle is full of candidates who talk the talk and market themselves as something they are not. What distinguishes me is that I walk the walk. The proof is my record of conservative leadership."

Brooks then listed awards and recognitions he has received while in Congress - including a grade of a "perfect 100 in the fight to secure America's borders and protect American families' wages and jobs from the damage done by illegal aliens."

At a stop in Montgomery, Brooks was asked to elaborate on a statement he made at a town hall meeting in 2011 when he said he would "do anything short of shooting them" to stop illegal immigration.

"I said would do anything I can lawfully do short of shooting them in order to emphasize my position on border security," Brooks said.

"This was in a town hall meeting where people were questioning my sincerity and my dedication to secure America's borders. I used that as hyperbole to emphasize my position, that I'm willing to do anything I lawfully can do, short of shooting them, which means I want to enforce the law."

Brooks said a surplus in the labor market caused by illegal immigration has hurt Americans and legal immigrants economically.

"It was in that context and I stand by every word of it," Brooks said.

During a stop in Mobile, Brooks focused on policy matters pertaining to health care and tax reform.

He said he would not support a tax reform package if it added to the federal deficit. Trump has proposed tax breaks that some economists and tax specialists fear could lead to escalating federal debt.

"If I'm not convinced that in the long haul, this tax reform will decrease America's deficits and thereby making our debt more manageable, I cannot be supportive of it," said Brooks.

Brooks also clarified a comment he made to CNN's Jake Tapper earlier this month in which he said people who live "good lives" should pay less for health care.

"If I could've substituted the word 'healthy' for 'good,' it would've more accurately reflected my intent," said Brooks. "People who lead healthy lives and don't use illegal drugs. People who are not chain smokers ... they will go to the doctor's office less and, as such, their health care costs will be lowered."

AL.com reporters Howard Koplowitz, Mike Cason and John Sharp contributed to this report.