WASHINGTON — Jay Inslee, now in his second term as governor of Washington state, announced a presidential bid on Friday, joining an ever-growing list of contenders for the Democratic nomination.
Inslee made his announcement in a web video, which was entirely focused on a single issue, tackling climate change.
“We’re the first generation to feel the sting of climate change, and we are the last that can do something about it,” Inslee said in the video.
He said he’s running for president because he’s the “only candidate who can make defeating climate change our nation’s number one priority.”
The video conveyed just how long Inslee has been warning about the issue, including clips of his tenure in the House of Representatives, where he served from 1999 to 2012.
The challenge for some of the lesser-known Democratic contenders will be to break through in fundraising and media attention. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined the race with higher name recognition, as will former Rep. Beto O’Rourke and former Vice President Joe Biden, if they enter the race.
O’Rourke said this week that he will not run for Senate in 2020, and that he and his wife have made a decision about their plans that will be announced soon. Biden said he’s nearing a decision on whether to run.