http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/240361-sanders-to-launch-bid-for-president-thursdayApril 28, 2015, 04:59 pm
Sanders to launch presidential bid
By Jonathan Easley
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April 28, 2015, 04:59 pm
Sanders to launch presidential bid
By Jonathan Easley
1.6K138
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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will officially launch a bid for the White House on Thursday.
A Democratic source close to the senator confirmed to The Hill that Sanders will announce his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination in a statement later this week, before heading back to his home state for a campaign kick-off event early next month.
Sanders will be the first Democrat to formally challenge Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, but he faces long odds.
The former secretary of State has a huge lead over the field of potential Democratic contenders, taking 62 percent support in the latest Fox News poll released last week.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who insists that she’s not running for president, came in second at 12 percent, followed by Vice President Biden at 9 percent and Sanders at 4 percent.
Still, many Democrats will be happy to see Clinton get at least a token challenger. They believe it could keep Clinton sharp as she prepares for the general election, and Sanders is a liberal favorite who will challenge her on policy issues from the left.
