Hillary Clinton: 'I’m running for president'
Ending years of speculation, Mrs. Clinton announced on Sunday that she will seek the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidency
Hillary Clinton has officially announced her candidacy for the US Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, confirming years of speculation that she would run a second time after losing the nomination in 2008 to Barack Obama. The former First Lady of the United States, U.S. Senator and United States Secretary of State announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination near the end of a short campaign video released on Sunday.
Mrs. Clinton declared, “Everyday Americans need a champion. And I want to be that champion, so I’m hitting the road to earn your vote — because it’s your time. And I hope you’ll join me on this journey.”
This announcement came minutes after emails from Clinton’s campaign chairman, informing donors and associates of the Clinton family to her candidacy.
Hillary Clinton is now the presumptive Democratic nominee, partly due to her extensive experience of public office, but partly due to the lack of persuasive alternatives. As a result 2016 is likely to be one of the least contested races, without an incumbent, for the Democratic nomination in recent history.
When asked about Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid, President Obama told the audience that “I think she would be an excellent president,” and has been “an outstanding secretary of state,” who will “be able to handle herself very well in conversations or debates around foreign policy, and her track record with respect to domestic policy is one that cares about working families.”
A graduate of Yale Law School, Mrs. Clinton was an active First Lady during her husband’s two terms in office from 1993-2001. For the next eight years Mrs. Clinton served as a U.S. Senator for New York. After losing the Democratic nomination to Obama in 2008, Hillary Clinton served as the 67th Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013. As per custom, Clinton largely avoided taking stances on most domestic or political issues during her time as Secretary of State.
If Hillary Clinton’s bid is successful, it will be the first time a woman wins the presidential nomination from a major party. The 67 year old has not stopped being in the public spotlight for three decades, and is one of the most recognizable women in the world.
The Republican nomination is wide open by comparison. The candidates include U.S. Senators Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Marco Rubio, together with Governors Chris Christie, Rick Perry and Jeb Bush (George W. Bush’s brother). Other Republican candidates not currently holding public office include the former Commissioner of Internal Revenue Mark Everson and the real estate mogul Donald Trump. None of these potential candidates have the experience to match Hillary Clinton, who is predicted to raise upwards of $2 billion dollars in her campaign as frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. All of this leads many to believe that the White House is hers to lose.
