Former Mobile Police Chief Paul Prine, who filed a federal lawsuit against the city in December over his dismissal from his job last year, announced Monday that he wishes to become the “people’s mayor.”

“I can hear your support,” Prine said, with a throng of supporters cheering him on during the announcement.

“I would ask you to consider voting Paul Prine. The people’s chief. The people’s choice. The people’s mayor.”

Prine declined to take any questions from the media.

His announcement had the appearance of a campaign rally, with attendees holding signs saying, “Thank you, Paul Prine. We have Your Back.”

Questions are likely to swirl during Prine’s campaign, including those about his residency.

Prine is registered as a voter in Saraland and has owned property in the community. It’s unclear when he plans a move to Mobile, which is now Alabama’s second largest city.

Prine said he is running on a campaign platform of three pillars – Safety first, giving high schools in Mobile County an opportunity to succeed, and economic development.

He also called on the rest of the growing field of mayoral candidates to “run a clean campaign.”

“We know politics is dirty and ugly and unnecessary,” Prine said. “Ultimately the people of Mobile will make the decision on who the next mayor will be and deserve to know our commitment and qualifications and merit.”

Prine did not mention any of his opponents by name.

The candidates include Mobile County Commissioner Connie Hudson, former Mobile County District Judge Spiro Cheriogotis, former Mobile Police Chief and Executive Director of Public Safety Lawrence Battiste, state Rep. Barbara Drummond, and former Mobile City Councilman Jermaine Burrell.

Prine’s inclusion into the race adds a rival to outgoing Mayor Sandy Stimpson.

The two had a high-profile falling out last year that led to Prine’s firing. The former chief’s lawsuit in December accuses the city’s highest-ranking officials of disparaging him in the lead up and aftermath of the April 30 firing by the Mobile City Council and for undertaking action that wasted over $200,000 in taxpayers’ money.

Prine was originally scheduled make an announcement about running for mayor on Friday, the same day his court case was scheduled to be heard in federal court. The hearing has since been moved to April 18.

Prine and the City of Mobile are also being sued by representatives of Kordell Jones, a Black man who was shot and killed by a SWAT team during a pre-dawn, no-knock raid on March 3, 2023. That federal lawsuit was filed on Feb. 24.

Jones’ death was one of six listed in a report about excessive force by the Mobile Police Department under Prine’s tenure by former U.S. Attorney Kenyen Brown.

Brown was hired by the Stimpson administration to look at several cases while Prine was chief. Prine has since criticized the Brown report and has called Stimpson’s efforts as a “witch hunt.”