Jim Webb Launches 2016 Presidential Exploratory Committee
Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) holds a news conference to announce legislation to overhaul the federal government's planning, management, and oversight of wartime-support contracting at the U.S. Capitol March 1, 2012 in Washington, DC
Photographer: Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesJim Webb, a veteran of Ronald Reagan's administration who served one term as a Democratic U.S. senator from Virginia, has launched a presidential exploratory committee. Late Wednesday night, Webb uploaded a 14-minute statement to YouTube, and a campaign site—Webb2016.com—went live.
“I have decided to launch an exploratory committee to examine whether I should run for president in 2016,” says Webb in the video. (A transcript is paginated on the new site.) “I made this decision after reflecting on numerous political commentaries and listening to many knowledgeable people. I look forward to listening and talking with more people in the coming months as I decide whether or not to run.”