Donald Trump may have told him "you're fired," but there's one contestant who's here to prove Trump doesn't actually have the final word.

In 2010, independent candidate and The Apprentice alumnus Surya Yalamanchili will run for the congressional seat of Ohio's second district.

The second district's seat - which includes parts of Hamilton, Warren and Scioto counties and all of Adams, Brown, Pike and Clermont counties - is currently held by Rep. Jean Schmidt (R).

Yalamanchili was a contestant on season six of The Apprentice in 2006 but said he doesn't feel it should affect his chances in a positive or negative manner.

Miami University sophomore Jordan Strope said he doesn't think Yalamanchili's television appearance shouldn't affect voters' decisions.

"Reality contestants are people, too," Strope said. "It's supposed to be reality, so why treat them like TV stars? His being on The Apprentice holds no weight in my eyes. He seems like a nice guy and just another concerned person."

A resident of Ohio since the early 2000s, Yalamanchili worked his way up through Procter and Gamble to eventually become its brand manager. Yalamanchili said this experience will help him since politics is "very much a business."

"(To be a candidate you) are marketing yourself as a product and the voters are the consumers," Yalamanchili said.

He said his knowledge of marketing can be combined with his past with budgets as a brand manager.

"(It will help me) manage (my) own budget and to skillfully maintain (my) campaign," Yalamanchili said.

Yalamanchili was all business when asked about his platform, enthused but serious.

"The government is no longer working for the average American or Ohioan and that can be seen especially in Ohio's second district," Yalamanchili said. "(I am an) independent because the major parties have become too focused on one-upping one another thus forgetting about the citizens they are supposed to be leading."

Yalamanchili said he thinks current leaders tell the country it's getting better when it isn't and that we need "a sense of urgency" to truly tackle the country's problems.

The primary focus of his campaign is the 10.2 percent unemployment rate currently plaguing Americans. Yalamanchili said he hopes to help those higher up realize that "the government doesn't create jobs, the private sector creates jobs and the government needs to help them better in doing that."

"Unfair trade practices are plaguing modern businesses, the small guys are especially suffering as those in Washington have essentially forsaken their districts as they squabble across party lines and over special interest groups," Yalamanchili said.

Ohio resident and junior Zack Weiss said he agreed with Surya's concerns.

"It's right that he's focused on unemployment," Weiss said. "Students can't go into the world with degrees that get us nowhere. Jobs and careers need to be available or all of this has been for nothing."

Citing great politicians of the past who have impressed, including Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy, Yalamanchili declined the opportunity to address his opponents.

"I'm never going to talk about my opponents," Yalamanchili said. "That's what campaigns have become, belittling the opponent instead of telling voters about yourself. I'm not going to tell you why to not vote for the other guy, I'm going to tell you why you should vote for me and let the voter decide."

Yalamanchili plans to use technology instead of traditional yard signs to campaign.

"Technology is everywhere and in everything, so I'm going to make it a big part of this campaign," he said.

Learn more about Yalamanchili by visiting http://www.votechili.com.