Ben Carson Officially Running for the White House

Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson formally declared his candidacy Monday for the GOP presidential nomination.

Speaking before of hundreds of people at Detroit Music Hall Monday, the Michigan native declared, "It's time for people to rise up and take the government back."

"The political class won't like me saying things like that. The political class comes from both parties," he said.

He told CBN's David Brody that he'll speak his mind on issues such as America's historical roots.

"We are in fact a Judeo-Christian nation and I think that's a huge part of our strength," he said.

CBN Chief Political Correspondent David Brody talks more about the expanding field of Republican presidential candidates. Click play to watch.

Former technology executive Carly Fiorina is also throwing her hat into the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Click here for more.

Carson, the only African-American in the race, has never run for public office. Nevertheless, his conservatives values expressed in books and in speeches have made him very popular with the GOP.

"I see myself as a member of 'we the people,'" he told The Associated Press in an interview earlier this year.

"I see myself as a logical American who has common sense, and I think that's going to resonate with a lot of Americans, regardless of their political party," he said.