Democrat Sen. Elizabeth Warren has announced her intention to join the 2020 presidential race.
In an announcement made via video, as well as an email to her supporters, Warren revealed on Monday that she has formed an exploratory committee, marking the first Democrat to do so ahead of the 2020 race, CNBC News reported.
“In our country, if you work hard and play by the rules, you ought to be able to take care of yourself and the people you love,” Warren began in the video. “That’s a fundamental promise of America – a promise that should be true for everybody.”
Watch the video below:
The video continued by detailing Warren’s challenging upbringing and paralleling it to the struggles American families face today.
“Working families today face a lot tougher path than my family did,” she said, adding that minorities face an even greater challenge.
The video displayed images of Republican leaders while blaming them for the crisis facing the middle class.
“Corruption is poisoning our democracy,” she said. “Politicians look the other way while big insurance companies deny patients life-saving coverage, while big banks rip off consumers and while big oil companies destroy this planet.”
“Our government is supposed to work for all of us, but instead, it has become a tool for the wealthy and well-connected,” Warren said in the video.
An exploratory committee is the first step candidates take before joining the field of candidates among their party. It allows a candidate to begin fundraising and staffing efforts ahead of an official race.
JUST IN: Elizabeth Warren announces presidential committee https://t.co/qw6yoLTeUP pic.twitter.com/xMAXLq2z5k
— NBC Chicago (@nbcchicago) December 31, 2018
Leftist groups such as the Progressive Change Campaign Committee released a statement on the news, calling Warren “the most electable among many potential contenders with progressive positions.”
“If she runs, she will be best equipped to defeat Trump because voters want someone instinctively on the side of working people and willing to challenge power — from Wall Street banks, Big Pharma, and big polluters to systemic racism and gender inequity,” said Taylor and Adam Green, co-founders of the group.
@ElizabethforMA is the most electable among many potential contenders with progressive positions, and it will be a victory for all progressives as candidates race to the top on issues we’ve worked for years to push into the mainstream! pic.twitter.com/GH0v61IzyL
— BoldProgressives.org (@BoldProgressive) December 31, 2018
The announcement takes place 13 months ahead of the Iowa caucuses.
A poll released just two weeks ago found that just eight percent of likely Iowa caucus voters supported Warren, making her the fourth choice, CNN reported. Joe Biden was the top choice with 32 percent of respondents, while Bernie Sanders was second with 19 percent, and Beto O’Rourke with 11 percent.
Warren has held a U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts since 2013, and was reelected in November with 60 percent of the vote.
