Former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee is set to enter the Democratic presidential field Wednesday afternoon, making a bid to become the foreign policy foil to front-runner Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonWhy is Biden hesitating to challenge China as East Asia's major trade partner? Howard Stern rips vaccine opponents: 'F--- their freedom, I want my freedom to live' New Hampshire Democrat wins GOP-held state House seat MORE.
While the majority of presidential contenders launched their bids at large rallies in their home states, Chafee will announce his candidacy during a foreign policy speech at George Mason University at 5:30 p.m., a campaign aide confirmed to The Hill.
Since the surprise announcement of his exploratory committee back in April, Chafee’s national media appearances have largely focused on rebuking Clinton’s vote to authorize the War in Iraq.
Chafee, the only Republican senator to vote against the authorization as Clinton’s Senate colleague, called her vote a “disqualifier” in a previous interview with The Hill and said it helped lead to the rise of Islamic militants in the Middle East.
While Clinton has since called her Iraq vote a mistake, Chafee has made clear that his candidacy will hinge largely on his foreign policy views.
“The Democrats should be coalescing around someone who has fresh ideas for how we can have fewer wars, not more wars,” Chafee told The Hill in April.
Chafee served in the Senate as a Republican before switching to an independent and endorsing President Obama during both presidential elections. While he won the 2010 governor’s race as an independent, he switched to the Democratic Party in 2013, a year before deciding not to run again.
He’ll face long odds of dethroning front-runner Hillary Clinton, especially now that Sen. Bernie Sanders
Bernie SandersOn The Money — The Democratic divide on taxes The Hill's 12:30 Report: Biden airs frustration over unvaccinated Americans Wyden releases new tax proposals as Democrats work on .5T bill MORE (I-Vt.) and former Gov. Martin O’Malley (D-Md.) have jumped in as potential liberal alternatives to Clinton.
The former secretary of State has a commanding lead over the entire field, but Chafee has, so far, lagged significantly behind in polls ahead of his official announcement.
