Self-help author Marianne Williamson launched her official 2024 presidential campaign for the Democratic Party on Saturday. She is the first primary challenger to go against sitting U.S. President Joe Biden.
This will be the second time that Williamson ran for president since 2020 when she first ran in the Democratic nomination. Her campaign was suspended to due to the lack raising money for her campaign. Her campaign only raised $8.4 million.
Democratic lawmakers have signaled their backing for President Biden. Other Democratic voters have said they’d prefer someone other than the incumbent due to his age. Williamson’s campaign is considered a long shot.
Biden is currently the oldest president in U.S. History and was elected at 78 years old.
Williamson announced her campaign at an event in Washington’s Union Station. She had called the system of government a favor of the wealth into a “system of legalized bribery”, according to The Wall Street Journal.
“It’s time for us to look in the mirror as Americans and face the very painful fact: Government of the people, by the people and for the people is perishing,” said Williamson in her announcement. “Government of the corporations, by the corporations and for the corporations.”
Williamson praised Biden for defeating former President Donald J. Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
“I’m so glad that President Trump did not win the last election. That means we didn’t gov over the cliff,” said the author. “But I’ll tell you something, we’re still six inches away from it.”
Williamson rose to prominence with several vest-selling books in self-help and as a spiritual guru to Oprah Winfrey.
The DNC has no plans to hold any primary debates as Williamson is the only Democratic primary challenger. Biden is expected to announce his re-elections campaign in the coming weeks or months for a second term.
The calendar for the DNC primary has changed as the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary will no longer be the first on the party calendar.
“President Biden will not file for election in the New Hampshire primary, which will still go first,” said New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley
“This will set him up, we believe, for an embarrassing situation where the first primary in the country will be won by someone other than the president. This will only fuel chatter of about Democrats divisions.”
The White House had decline to comment on Ms. Williamson’s challenge as the DNC had no comment, according to The New York Times.
Williamson used no teleprompter and no notes as her speech lasted for 21 minutes.
“The idea that no one should run against Biden because that will hurt the Democrats in 2024 makes no sense,” said the self-help author. “I don’t know why we should be so afraid of the messiness of democracy.”
The crowd at her announcement was made up of her fans, social media influencers, podcasters, local college students, and political tourists.
Her campaign has yet to make any announcements on upcoming events.
