U.S. Democratic Senator from the state of Colorado Michael Bennet announced his presidential bid on Thursday, joining nearly two dozen others in a crowded race to unseat the incumbent, Donald Trump, Trend reported citing Xinhua.
"My plan is to run for president," Bennet told a television show on U.S. broadcast network CBS, identifying the lack of opportunities among U.S. voters and integrity in the government as two major problems facing the country.
"I think this country faces two enormous challenges, one is a lack of economic mobility and opportunity for most Americans, and the other is the need to restore integrity to our government," the 54-year-old lawmaker said.
"If we continue to go down the path we're going, and this isn't just about President Trump, it's about the politics that existed before he got there ... we're going to be the first generation of Americans to leave less opportunity, not more, to the next generation," he said.
Bennet was diagnosed with prostate cancer in March, but was cured after undergoing a successful surgery in April.
More than 20 Democratic politicians have announced their bid for party nomination to face off with Trump, including Bennet's Senate colleagues Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, Amy Klobuchar, Kamala Harris and Cory Booker.
Former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, under whom Bennet served as chief of staff in 2003, is also campaigning.
According to recent polls, former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is leading the pack with a wide margin, trailed by Warren and Sanders.