U.S. Democrat Chafee to run for president in 2016: Politico

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee on Wednesday will join the race for the 2016 Democratic nomination for president, challenging front-runner Hillary Clinton, Politico reported on Friday, citing an unnamed source with knowledge of his plans. Chafee, who became a Democrat in 2013 after holding political offices as a Republican and an independent, is scheduled to speak that day at George Mason University. He will announce his 2016 bid, likely a long shot, during the speech, according to Politico. A spokeswoman for Chafee did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Chafee served eight years in the U.S. Senate as a Republican, then changed his affiliation to Independent when he ran for governor of Rhode Island in 2010. In his last year in office, he switched to become a Democrat. Chafee said in April that he was mulling a run for the White House and touted his judgment and "level-headedness" as a leader. Clinton, the former U.S. secretary of state, is widely seen as the favorite for the party's nomination. Liberal U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont is also running as a Democrat, and former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley is expected to join the pack challenging Clinton this weekend. (Reporting by Emily Stephenson; Editing by Sandra Maler)