Former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee, the Republican-turned-Independent-turned Democrat, announced that he’s considering running for president on the Democratic ticket in 2016.
Unlike former Secretary Hillary Clinton or even Sen. Elizabeth Warren
(D-MA), Chafee’s name has not been regularly floated on short lists of
strong potential 2016 Democratic presidential candidates, or really even on any lists.
“I’m Lincoln Chafee and I am a Democrat considering a run for president of the United States,” Chafee said in a video posted on www.chafee2016.com. “The 2016 election is an important one for the Democratic Party and for America.”
Chafee, 62, goes on to praise President Barack Obama who, Chafee said, “has revived our economy.”
He added that throughout his political career as a governor, senator, and mayor he “exercised good judgement on a wide range of high pressure decisions, decisions that require level-headedness and careful foresight.”
“During the next weeks and months I look forward to sharing with you my thoughts about the future of our great country.”
Chafee’s chafee2016.com website also included a 7-minute clip where he discusses foreign policy and argues that “the decision to invade Iraq has destabilized the Middle East and far beyond.”
Chafee, Rhode Island Public Radio noted, said he didn’t think Clinton was an entirely inevitable Democratic nominee for president in the next cycle. But he did say he wasn’t “naive bout the task ahead of me.”
Chafee was an Independent as governor and a Republican in the U.S. Senate. In 2013 he switched to the Democratic party facing low approval ratings. Chafee eventually opted not to run for re-election.
Watch Chafee’s video announcing his exploratory committee below:
