Chafee considering run for president in 2016

FORMER GOV. LINCOLN D. Chafee said he has formed an exploratory committee to consider a run as the Democratic Party nominee for president in 2016. / PBN FILE PHOTO/TRACY JENKINS
FORMER GOV. LINCOLN D. Chafee said he has formed an exploratory committee to consider a run as the Democratic Party nominee for president in 2016. / PBN FILE PHOTO/TRACY JENKINS

(Updated 1:46 p.m.)
PROVIDENCE – Former Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee said he is considering a run for president of the United States in the 2016 election.
Chafee, in a video on vimeo.com, called the 2016 election “an important one for the Democratic party and for America.” He goes on to say that when the Republicans were last in power, they left the economy “in shambles.” He said in contrast, President Barack Obama has “led admirably” and revived the economy.

Chafee said he is concerned about international instability, especially in the Middle East and north Africa, saying Americans want “safety, stability and sustainability.”
“We will need fresh ideas and the most skillful diplomacy in dealing with this ever-changing world,” Chafee said.

He said he has used good judgement throughout his career on a wide-range of “high-pressure decisions,” decisions that required “level-headedness and careful foresight.”
“During the next weeks and months, I look forward to sharing with you my thoughts about the future of our great country,” Chafee said.

Chafee has formed an exploratory committee, and has information on his website Chafee2016.com, about the possible run.
In a phone interview, Chafee said he is not sure when he will make up his mind about running. He said the decision to form the committee, and explore the idea of a presidential run, stemmed from a conversation he had with his wife a few years ago about future plans, and whether he should seek another term as governor.
Chafee said he wanted to take on new challenges. So far, he said he has received positive feedback about the announcement.
“I think a lot of people want a more vibrant Democratic primary. They don’t want just one candidate,” Chafee said.

- Advertisement -

According to a news release, Chafee will spend the next few months in New Hampshire, Iowa and other key battleground states, where he will ask voters if his ideas for the future are needed in the next presidential campaign.
“Chafee’s focus includes the belief that a strong middle class is the bedrock of a prosperous America; responsible environmental stewardship can coexist with economic strength; the freedoms granted to America in our Constitution should not be abridged; and American foreign policy should be based on brains, and not biceps,” the release states.
Chafee became the first Republican mayor in Warwick in 32 years in 1992, and was re-elected in 1994, 1996 and 1998. In 1999, Chafee was appointed to fill the unexpired term of his late father, U.S. Sen. John H. Chafee, and a year later, was elected to a full term.
In 2010, he became the first Independent elected governor of Rhode Island, and took office at the height of the Great Recession, according to information on Chafee2016.com.
“As Governor, Chafee led Rhode Island out of the recession,” the press release states.
Chafee left the governor’s office earlier this year; he did not seek re-election.
Chafee graduated from Brown University in 1975 with a degree in the classics; he was a varsity wrestler at Brown, according to his website.

No posts to display

2 COMMENTS