9 things to know about Lincoln Chafee

Former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee will today announce that he is seeking the 2016 presidential nomination of Democratic Party.

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Chafee, a former Republican-turned independent-turned Democrat, is trying to contrast himself with Hillary Clinton, the frontrunner for the party’s nomination, by stressing his 2002 vote against the war with Iraq, which Clinton supported as a senator.

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By running, he’s taking on a political juggernaut with much higher name recognition and fundraising resources.

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Chafee himself hails from a prominent New England political family and has shown in the past that he’s not afraid to dip into his own financial reserves on the campaign trail.

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Here's more about the political and financial history of this 62-year-old who’s developed a reputation over the years for his contrarian views.

Carrie Levine contributed to this report.

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This story is part of Primary Source. Primary Source keeps you up-to-date on developments in the post-Citizens United world of money in politics. Click here to read more stories in this blog.

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Copyright 2014 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C.