Self-help author and lecturer Marianne Williamson announced her candidacy Monday night for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, calling for "more than a better version of the same old same old."
"We need a fundamental disruption of a sociopathic economic order and an alignment of our politics with our deepest democratic and human values,'' Williamson told supporters at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills, where she regularly speaks.
Williamson said she wants "to engage voters in a more meaningful conversation about America, about our history, about how each of us fit into it, and how to create a sustainable future.''
"Our national challenges are deep, but our political conversation is shallow," Williamson said. "My campaign is for people who want to dig deeper into the questions we face as a nation and deeper into finding the answers.''
Williamson called "our economy as a veiled aristocracy, a crisis among America's children, systemic racism, and reframing national security," among the nation's greatest issues.
Williamson announced the formation of an exploratory campaign to determine the viability of a presidential campaign on Nov. 15. She traveled to Iowa, site of the nation's first presidential caucuses, six times this month, and also visited New Hampshire, site of the nation's first presidential primary, in early January.
"All Americans know they have an important part to play in determining the conversation that will dominate our politics over the next two years, and they take it very seriously,'' Williamson said. "I'm honored to be part of the process and feel very grateful that they're showing up to engage me in this conversation.''
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Williamson is the author of 12 books, including "Healing the Soul of America'' on the nation's political system which was updated and re-issued last year.
Williamson founded Project Angel Food in 1989, which provides food to homebound people with AIDS in the Los Angeles area. Williamson is also the founder of The Peace Alliance, which supports creation of a United States Department of Peace.
Williamson finished fourth in the 2014 primary in the 33rd Congressional District in the Westside and South Bay, a seat won by Democrat Ted Lieu.
