Baltimore, MD  (KTRS)  A prominent member of the Black Lives Matter Movement is throwing his hat into the political arena.

DeRay McKesson announced his run for mayor of Baltimore on Wednesday night. This was the deadline for candidates in Maryland’s April 26 primary, joining a dozen contenders. McKesson rose to prominence during protests in Ferguson following the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown in 2014.

The 30-year-old Baltimore native told The Baltimore Sun  that he expects to release a platform within a week. Mckesson acknowledged that entering the race late would mean he’d have some catching up to do.

“We can’t rely on traditional pathways to politics and the traditional politicians who walk those paths if we want transformational change,” said McKesson.

McKesson is running as a Democrat.