Merkley knew his presidential campaign would have been uphill in a field that has now surpassed a dozen candidates. In a speech in December to the annual Progress Iowa dinner, Merkleyhis campaign would be a"David and Goliath" effort . But, he said then,"There are so many curious and unexpected things that can happen in the course of a campaign. Who knows how that will all unfold?”
In the announcement video, Merkley said America now faces three"great crises" — a"democracy crisis," defined by voting rights and campaign finance issues; a"climate crisis;" and an"opportunity crisis" that limits economic and educational options for Americans. He said that he plans to help elect a new president and new Democratic senators over the next two years to address those problems.