Billionaire philanthropist Tom Steyer on Tuesday took his most definitive step yet toward a possible 2020 presidential bid, releasing a list of “5 Rights” that he believes “all Democrats” should champion.
Steyer publicized the list on Tuesday with a revamped TomSteyer.com, a full-page ad in USA Today, and a schedule of events that he will be hosting with local leaders based around the issues laid out in the “5 Rights.”
{mosads}The Democratic mega-donor behind the Need to Impeach campaign pressing to remove President Trump from office currently has events planned to discuss “the right to an equal vote” in Charleston, S.C., and “the right to clean air and water” in Fresno, Calif.
The other “rights” include “the right to learn,” “the right to a living wage” and “the right to health.”
“After hearing from Americans at over 40 town halls in 23 states, Steyer believes the 5 Rights represent essential freedoms that should be guaranteed for all Americans in order to compete in today’s economy,” the email announcing the platform reads.
Steyer has reportedly been eyeing a presidential campaign for about two years, but he has not yet said whether he will run. He focused most of his efforts over the past year on donating money and resources to a grass-roots “get out the vote” campaign targeting young people and those frustrated with Trump.
His Need to Impeach campaign, which launched last year, backed Democratic efforts to flip control of the House, working to boost turnout among infrequent voters in 44 congressional districts. The campaign is set to begin airing a new national television and digital ad on Tuesday, urging voters to put pressure on newly elected representatives to back impeachment proceedings against the president.
The former hedge fund manager’s new website includes a “Meet Tom” page, which describes Steyer’s involvement in Democratic politics and activism.
“Across the country and in his home state of California, Tom has repeatedly helped win fights for fairness against entrenched corporate interests,” the biography reads.
“We need the broadest democracy possible,” Steyer is quoted as saying in the bio, “to reverse the hostile corporate takeover of the government that stole the rights of everyday Americans and walled them off from their dreams.”
The 2020 Democratic presidential primary is likely to be crowded field, with more than a dozen people reportedly eyeing a bid.