Moulton enters 2020 White House race

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) announced his 2020 presidential campaign early Monday, becoming the 20th candidate seeking the Democratic nomination.

Moulton, who emerged a leader of the Democrats challenging Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) path to the Speakership last fall, said in a video that he is running because “we have to beat Donald Trump, and I want us to beat Donald Trump because I love this country.”

The former Marine’s campaign platform includes a focus on gun control, national security and addressing climate change.

“Decades of division and corruption have broken our democracy and robbed Americans of their voice,” Moulton said in his announcement video. “It’s all led to an administration that’s turned away from our values and is shredding our moral authority.”

{mosads}According to his campaign website, the three-term congressman will travel to the early nominating states of New Hampshire, South Carolina and Iowa this week.

Moulton, 40, has said for months that he was considering a 2020 run.

He told ABC News early Monday that Democrats have ceded issues such as patriotism, security and service to Republicans “for too long.”

“This is actually where Donald Trump is weakest,” he said. “We’ve got to take him on on these issues.”

Rep. @sethmoulton tells @GStephanopoulos he is running for president “because I’m a patriot, because I believe in this country.” See the interview coming up this morning on @GMA. https://t.co/WZ4Hv0pAM7 pic.twitter.com/uQNaC2XJRJ

— Good Morning America (@GMA) April 22, 2019

“Seth Moulton is a Massachusetts liberal who supports higher taxes and the socialist Green New Deal,” Republican National Committee spokesman Michael Ahrens said in a statement. “His presidential bid is going nowhere, just like his unsuccessful business career and his repeated failed attempts to challenge the least popular politician in DC: Nancy Pelosi.”

Moulton joins a crowded field of Democratic nominees including Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas).

Other veterans in the 2020 Democratic field include South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii).

CNN is reporting that former Vice President Joe Biden will enter the race this week.

— Owen Daugherty contributed to this report, which was updated at 10:23 a.m.