Merkley focuses on Senate duties, less on White House bid

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – On a day when another U.S. senator formally entered the 2020 presidential race, Sen. Jeff Merkley, who’s also pondering a run, seemed content to just be a senator by holding a town hall back in his home state of Oregon.

Merkley, one of Congress’ most vocal critics of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown that has seen children separated from their parents, noted that new presidential candidates are cropping up almost daily.

Merkley said in an interview Monday that he’ll make a decision on whether to join the race for the Democratic nomination for president before the end of this first quarter.

On Monday fellow Democrat California Sen. Kamala Harris announced her White House bid.