Elizabeth Warren Takes Big Leap Towards 2020 Presidential Run

Senator Elizabeth Warren

(Photo: AP)

Senator Elizabeth Warren is taking the first major step toward launching a widely anticipated campaign for presidency. She is hoping her reputation as a populist fighter can help her navigate a Democratic field that could include nearly two dozen candidates.

The Massachusetts Democrat says she’s forming an exploratory committee for the 2020 campaign. She’s the most prominent Democrat yet to make such a move.

Warren burst onto the national scene a decade ago during the financial crisis with calls for greater consumer protection, and quickly became one of the party's more prominent liberals.

Now, as a likely presidential contender, she is appealing to the party's base. A video released Monday announcing her move notes the economic challenges facing people of colour along with images of a women's march and Warren's participation at an LGBT event.