Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell officially announced on Monday that he will run for president.

To See President Biden's 5 Best Jokes At The White House Correspondents Dinner visit The Daily.

In an interview with Stephen Colbert, the Democratic lawmaker said, “I talk to kids who sit in their classroom afraid that they’ll be the next victim of gun violence.”

“None of that is going to change until we get a leader who is willing to go big on the issues we take on, be bold in the solutions we offer and do good in the way that we govern,” Swalwell added. “I’m ready to solve these problems. I’m running for president of the United States.”

Video:

Rep. Swalwell said:

I’ve already done a lot, but I can do more. I’ve been in Congress for six years. I’ve defended our country in the intelligence committee while Democracy has been on the ropes. … I see a country in quicksand, unable to solve problems and threats from abroad, unable to make life better for people here at home. Nothing gets done. I talk to teachers and truckers and nurses and they feel like they’re just running in place and it’s not adding up to anything. I talk to people who are just like me, who are the first in their family to go to college and have got a lot of student debt, can’t buy a home, can’t start a business. I talk to kids who sit in their classroom afraid that they’ll be the next victim of gun violence, and they see Washington doing nothing about it after the moments of silence, and they see lawmakers who love their guns more than they love ours kids. And none of that is going to change until we get a leader who is willing to go big on the issues we take on, be bold in the solutions we offer and do good in the way that we govern. I’m ready to solve these problems. I’m running for president of the United States. … Boy did it feel good to say that.

The Democratic field keeps getting stronger

Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell is officially the 18th Democrat to declare his candidacy for president, but the field is as strong as it is large.

Whether it’s tackling gun violence, climate change, health care, corruption or economic inequality, the growing Democratic field has the most diverse group of candidates in history who have already offered detailed policy proposals to solve the problems that Americans care about, instead of creating fake emergencies to divide the country.

Ultimately, voters are sick of the chaos the Trump presidency has created. In 2020, they will have a strong field of Democratic candidates to choose from to restore sanity and stability to our government.

Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook and Twitter

Sean Colarossi

Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.