Darryl Glenn is challenging Democratic Colorado U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet in 2016.

A Republican, he’s casting himself as the candidate who believes in hard work and the American Dream.

Post by Committee to Elect Darryl Glenn.

“Racism does exist, but it’s really how you actually cope with that,” he says in the video.

He says families told him not to “grow up with a chip on your shoulder” because of his race.

“I was in a fifth grade class and it was primarily minorities in there and a young black child came and spoke to me. And I just wanted to have a talk with him to see how he was doing.

“He began lecturing me on how ‘the man’ was keeping him down. And that really touched my heart because he’s already starting off on the wrong foot. Because if you grow up thinking that government or ‘the man’ is holding you down, then you’re automatically putting an artificial ceiling.”

He adds that it doesn’t matter what one’s race or sex is – “can achieve that American Dream. All you have to do is work hard.”

Glenn considers himself a “Christian constitutional conservative” and pledges to “support policy that enables everyone to pursue their American dream by ensuring economic freedom, restoring the traditional balance of power among federal branches of government, mandating that government live within it’s means, strengthening our nation’s security and providing for international defense,” the Colorado Springs Independent reports.

He is currently an El Paso County commissioner and previously was a Colorado Springs city councilor.

Glenn is a retired Air Force officer.