WASHINGTON — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton — who is also a former New York senator and first lady — has officially embarked on her latest bid for president.
Clinton opted to use social media to launch her 2016 campaign for the Democratic nomination for president, releasing a video online Sunday.
She is the first Democratic candidate to launch. Former Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia announced an exploratory committee earlier this year, and former Republican Senator (now Democrat) Lincoln Chafee more recently.
Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has expressed a strong interest in running for president. Meanwhile, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren has been pressured to enter the race as well, particularly by the progressive wing of the party that thinks Clinton does not speak for them. So far, Warren has demurred.
This will be Clinton’s second attempt at the nomination, having lost to then-Sen. Barack Obama in 2008 in a bitter campaign. Once nominated, Obama extended an olive branch to Clinton and her supporters. When he was elected she became his Secretary of State until 2013.
The Republicans have a head start on the Democrats in the drawn-out nomination process, however. So far, Sen. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul have already officially announced their candidacies.
From here, Clinton will embark on a series of appearances in the primary states of New Hampshire and Iowa, according to her campaign: discussions at colleges, day care centers and private homes, and stops at coffee shops and diners. A month from now, Clinton will give a broader speech outlining her goals and rationale for running.
Husband and former President Bill Clinton said recently that he wanted to play a role as a “backstage adviser” in his wife’s campaign and will likely not be scene on stage with her, at least in the early stages.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
