Former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb to run for president

WASHINGTON -- Former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb is running for president, joining a field of Democrats challenging Hillary Rodham Clinton for the nomination.

Webb says in a message on his website that the nation "needs a fresh approach to solving the problems that confront us."

Webb was the first Democrat to form an exploratory committee, announcing his interest in a presidential campaign last November.

A Vietnam veteran and former Navy secretary under President Ronald Reagan, Webb was elected to the Senate in 2006 and served one term.

Webb has made frequent trips to the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire. But he faces long odds in a field dominated by Clinton that also includes Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee.