Hillary Clinton is running for president of the United States. The former secretary of state and first lady made the announcement on Sunday in a video posted on her website in which she pledges to be America's "champion".
"I'm running for president," said the 67-year-old with a smile near the end of a two-minute video released just after 3 p.m.
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© Photo: Getty Images"Everyday Americans need a champion. And I want to be that champion," she said. "So I'm hitting the road to earn your vote – because it's your time. And I hope you'll join me on this journey. "The announcement has brought an end to years of speculation over whether Bill Clinton's wife would make a second bid to become the first female US president and secure a place in history by interrupting a line of 44 male commanders-in-chief.
Hillary’s campaign for the 2016 election took off minutes earlier, when emails from her campaign chairman John Podesta alerted donors and longtime Clinton associates to her candidacy, saying that she was "hitting the road to Iowa to start talking directly with voters" before an official launch event next month.
Her Twitter account has also been taken over by campaign staff – after a tweet announcing her presidential bid in English and Spanish, a message went out to followers stating: "This account will be run by campaign staff from now on – but you'll still see tweets from Hillary. They'll be signed 'H'. "
Hillary previously served as secretary of state and US senator for New York, as well as first lady when her husband, Bill, served two terms at the White House in the 1990s. She was defeated by Barack Obama in the contest for the Democratic nomination in 2008.
© Photo: Getty ImagesHillary's announcement comes just two days before National Equal Pay Day which falls on Tuesday and represents the point in the year when, on average, a woman's pay for working in 2014 and 2015 would equal a man's pay just for 2014.
Pay equity is an issue that Hillary's candidacy will focus on, along with others important to many women, such as paid family and medical leave, a higher minimum wage and affordable access to child care.
