The 2016 presidential contest officially began late Wednesday with Democrat Jim Webb.
In a video posted to YouTube and his website webb2016.com, Webb, a former senator and military veteran, announced he will form an exploratory committee for a presidential bid, making him the first potential candidate to take this step.
“I learned long ago on the battlefields of Vietnam that in a crisis, there is no substitute for clear-eyed leadership,” Webb said in the video. “Each time I served not with the expectation of making government a career, but to contribute to the good of the country during a period of crisis or great change.”
“In that spirit,” he continued, “I have decided to launch an exploratory committee to examine whether I should run for president in 2016. I made this decision after reflecting on numerous political commentaries and listening to many knowledgeable people. I look forward to listening and talking with more people in the coming months as I decide whether or not to run.”
Perhaps staking out an early contrast to likely Democratic contender Hillary Clinton, Webb emphasized that he is not a “career politician.”
“Americans want positive, visionary leadership that they can trust, at a time when our country is facing historic challenges,” Webb said. “They’re worried about the state of our economy, the fairness of our complicated multicultural society, the manner in which we are addressing foreign policy and national security challenges and the divisive, paralyzed nature of our government itself. They’re worried about the future. They want solutions, not rhetoric.”
Should Webb decide to run for president, he would be a dark horse in the Democratic field. In addition to Clinton, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has expressed interest in running for president in 2016, although neither plans to make any announcement before the new year.
Webb served one term as a senator, choosing to retire rather than run for re-election.
