Marianne Williamson will formally declare her candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the 2024 presidential race in the US this week, she has announced, becoming the first blue camp challenger to President Joe Biden’s expected reelection run.
The nation needs politics that “does not base itself on the crass imperatives of endless corporate profit, but on the eternal imperatives of our principles and values,” she said in a statement on Monday, explaining her decision to bid for the presidency again.
The US needs to treat the root causes of the problems it faces, she argued, indicating that she will run as an anti-establishment politician. An event to formally kick off her campaign is scheduled for Saturday.
Williamson, 70, is the first person to announce a bid for the 2024 Democratic nomination. She participated in the 2020 cycle, seeking to represent the same party, but dropped out early, endorsing fellow progressive candidate Bernie Sanders. In 2016, she vocally supported Sanders against Hillary Clinton.
Her 2020 run was mired by negative media coverage focusing on her lack of political experience. She was dismissed as the “crystal woo woo lady” by detractors, who were alluding to her self-help books and long-held interest in spirituality.
The candidate acknowledged that her chances will likely be estimated as slim at best, but noted that since Donald Trump’s 2016 victory, “it’s odd for anyone to think they know who can win the presidency.”
“And I’m not putting myself through this again just to add to the conversation. I’m running for president to help bring an aberrational chapter of our history to a close, and to help bring forth a new beginning,” Williamson stated.
Biden is yet to confirm a reelection bid, though the White House has repeatedly stated that he has every intention of running. However, Politico claimed last week that this was not a certainty and that Biden’s failure to formally announce had caused “an awkward deep-freeze across the party” as some insiders are considering “a Plan B.”
On the Republican side so far, Trump and former US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley have declared their 2024 presidential ambitions.