Sen. Jeff Merkley says he is considering a 2020 presidential run, confirming speculation that's been mounting for months.
Oregon's junior senator is riding a political high after his attacks on the Trump administration's policy of splitting up migrant families entering the country illegally.
Merkley is "exploring the possibility" of throwing his hat in the ring in the 2020 presidential election, he told The New York Times in a profile published Friday and during an appearance on CNN.
A political progressive, Merkley told The Times he wouldn't necessarily stay out of the race even if his close allies, Sens. Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders, also joined the race.
As Merkley's profile in Washington, D.C. slowly climbed, he's been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate before. His dramatic face-off with President Donald Trump over immigration, which culminated Wednesday with Trump backing off the family separation policy, has only increased speculation he would run.
-- Jeff Manning