- Former hedge-fund manager and Democratic activist Tom Steyer announced he's running for president in 2020, making him a late entry into the race after previously ruling out a presidential bid back in January.
- Steyer, a billionaire and major Democratic donor, founded two organizations to advance Democratic causes: Need To Impeach and NextGen America, the latter of which focuses on climate change.
- In January 2019, Steyer said he did not plan to run for president and would be "dedicating 100% of my time and effort in 2019 towards Mr. Trump's impeachment and removal from office."
- Despite being a well-connected billionaire and fairly well-known in Democratic circles, Steyer will face an uphill battle qualifying for the next round of Democratic primary debates, which are scheduled to take place on Sept. 12.
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Former hedge-fund manager and Democratic activist Tom Steyer announced he's running for president in 2020, making him a late entry into the race after previously ruling out a presidential bid back in January.
Steyer, a billionaire and major Democratic donor, founded two organizations to advance Democratic causes: Need To Impeach, which is advocating for Congress to begin impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, and NextGen America, a group combatting climate change and backing political candidates who support strong climate action.
In a video announcing his candidacy, Steyer denounced the role of corporate money in politics, saying "we've got to take the corporate control out of our politics...we care about improving the world and handing it on to the next generation in a way so they can lead better lives than we've had. If we don't do those two things, shame on us."
A spokesman for Steyer told The New York Times he plans to spend at least $100 million of his own money on his candidacy, dwarfing the fundraising performances of the current frontrunners.
In January 2019, Steyer said he did not plan to run for president and would be "dedicating 100% of my time and effort in 2019 towards Mr. Trump's impeachment and removal from office."
