KALAMAZOO, MI

— Chris Wahmhoff, an Occupy Kalamazoo organizer and the

earlier this summer, has announced he will run the U.S. Senate in 2014.

Chris Wahmhoff

Wahmhoff, 35, plans to run for the seat currently occupied by longtime Democratic Senator Carl Levin, who has announced he will retire when his term expires at the end of 2014. U.S. Rep

, D-Bloomfield Hills, and former

have already thrown their hats in the ring for Levin's seat.

Wahmhoff, who has never held elected office before, said he hopes to "bring accountability to corporate America" and the U.S. government, if elected. He said he plans to run as an independent candidate.

"I want to start pushing for the Senate, Congress and elected positions to work on the minimum wages of their constituents and start removing some of the steps put in place to allow manipulation of super pacs," Wahmhoff said.

Wahmhoff, who is facing charges of resisting and obstructing a police officer and trespassing in relation to his Enbridge protest in June, had originally planned to make his announcement following a hearing to quash the charges against him Monday at the Calhoun Justice Complex. However, the hearing was postponed after Calhoun County courts and government offices were closed due to inclement weather.

"The reason we feel there is a chance for a motion to quash is that after the pipeline protest we had pretrial hearing and the prosecutions's star witness, Dectective Hinkley said on the stand I was very cooperative and nice to talk to," Wahmhoff said. "There is nowhere in police report that says they demanded I got out."

Wahmhoff willing left the pipe after a 10-hour protest.

Wahmhoff said he expects to learn soon when the hearing will be rescheduled and will plan to make a public announcement that he is running for the U.S. Senate then.

If his motion to quash hearing results is denied, he will face trial for the charges.

Alex Mitchell covers county government and taxes for the Kalamazoo Gazette. Email him at amitche5@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter.