Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren made an official bid for the presidency during her speech in Lawrence, Massachusetts. She called to fight against economic inequality, the "middle-class squeeze", and to introduce more "accountability for the rich". Specifically, she has suggested reforms aimed at Medicare for all and eliminating Washington, DC lobbyism in its current form.
Commenting on the announcement, Kyle Kopko, an associate professor of political science at Elizabethtown College, Pennsylvania, told Sputnik that Warren's campaign base is “closely associated” with that of 2016 Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders'.
"Elizabeth Warren is more liberal in her policy positions compared to Hillary Clinton. Most political observers closely associate Elizabeth Warren with the Bernie Sanders wing of the Democratic Party."
She first announced her intention to run for president on 31 January 2018, when she notified her supporters that she had formed an exploratory committee and started a fund raising campaign. However, the start of her campaign was overshadowed by a scandal around her claims of Native American identity. She has had to apologise twice over the last few weeks for her claims.
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The Native American ancestry controversy dates back to 2012, but gained new life in October, when Warren presented DNA test results that were supposed to bolster her claims. However, the move ignited outrage from Native Americans, including an official of the Cherokee Nation. The senator apologised and explained that her statements had been based on her own understanding of her family history.
Warren, 69, who has never run for president before, is expected to be challenged by at least two more experienced candidates for the Democratic nomination — former US Vice President Joseph Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders.