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Beyond Hillary Clinton: 7 other Democrats possibly (or definitely) running for president

Hillary Clinton is in, but that isn’t keeping other Democrats from running – or at least thinking about it. Here’s our list, updated April 30, 2015:

4. Lincoln Chafee

Steven Senne/AP/File
Then-Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee responds to questions during an interview with the Associated Press, in his office at the Statehouse, in Providence, R.I., Dec. 11, 2014. Chafee says he has formed an exploratory committee to consider a Democratic presidential campaign, saying in a video that voters want to 'assess the character and experience of those offering ideas.'

Former Governor Chafee of Rhode Island has evolved politically over the years, from Republican to independent to Democrat. On April 9, 2015, he announced he was exploring a run for the presidency.

Chafee comes from a blue-blood, moderate Republican political family; his father was Sen. John Chafee (R) of Rhode Island. Lincoln served as mayor of Warwick, R.I., from 1992 to 1999. He was a GOP senator from Rhode Island from 1999 to 2007. In 2010, he won the state’s governorship as an independent, then in 2013, he joined the Democratic Party. Chafee finished his term in January 2015, opting not to run for reelection.

As Rhode Island governor, Chafee pursued largely liberal positions. He favored tax increases to address the state’s budget surplus, opposed charter schools, and signed legislation in 2013 legalizing same-sex marriage in the state.

So far, Chafee’s presidential explorations haven’t garnered much attention from voters. But he’s just getting started. He plans to make his first campaign stop on May 6 in New Hampshire.

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

Dear Reader,

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