Former RI Gov. Chafee to Announce 2016 Campaign Next Week

Former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee on Wednesday will join the race for the 2016 Democratic nomination for president, challenging front-runner Hillary Clinton, Politico reported on Friday, citing an unnamed source with knowledge of his plans.

Chafee, who became a Democrat in 2013 after holding political offices as a Republican and an independent, is scheduled to speak that day at George Mason University.

He will announce his 2016 bid, likely a long shot, during the speech, according to Politico.

A spokeswoman for Chafee did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Chafee served eight years in the U.S. Senate as a Republican, then changed his affiliation to Independent when he ran for governor of Rhode Island in 2010. In his last year in office, he switched to become a Democrat.

Chafee said in April that he was mulling a run for the White House and touted his judgment and "level-headedness" as a leader.

Clinton, the former U.S. secretary of state, is widely seen as the favorite for the party's nomination. Liberal U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont is also running as a Democrat, and former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley is expected to join the pack challenging Clinton this weekend.