Hillary Clinton speaking at New Hampshire in 2007.
Hillary Rodham Clinton formally announced her bid for the 2016 Presidential elections on Sunday, making her the first candidate to announce her bid from the Democratic Party.
Her announcement came through a video, which featured cuts of various different American families and individuals who are “getting ready for” new chapters in life—from a young mother whose daughter is getting ready for kindergarten, to a gay couple who is planning to get married in the summer, to a young woman applying for jobs after graduating from college.
“I’m getting ready to do something too,” Clinton states towards the end of the video. “I’m running for president.”
“Everyday Americans need a champion. And I want to be that champion,” Clinton says. “So you can do more than just get by. You can get ahead, and stay ahead. Because when families are strong, America is strong. So I’m hitting the road to earn your vote. Because it’s your time. And I hope you’ll join me on this journey.”
She will officially begin her campaign when she visits Iowa next week.
Clinton, wife of the former President Bill Clinton, previously ran for President in 2008 and lost to incumbent President Obama, after which she served under Obama as the Secretary of State. Clinton also served as the first female Senator from New York.
According to the biography in Clinton’s campaign website, Clinton was raised as a Methodist, and “her mom taught Sunday school.” It further notes that her “life-long passion for social justice” was sparked by seeing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speak.
Clinton’s campaign so far seems to focus mostly on income inequality and improving conditions for the middle class. She also has been appealing to minority groups, as her video featured individuals from diverse ethnic groups as well as LGBT.
Clinton is a graduate of Wellesley College and Yale Law School.
If elected, Clinton would be the first female President of the United States.
