Jim Webb Announces 2016 Democratic Presidential Bid, Challenging Hillary Clinton

— -- Former Virginia senator and author Jim Webb will officially seek the Democratic presidential nomination, he announced on Thursday, acknowledging that he will face an uphill battle against Hillary Clinton.

"After many months of thought, deliberation and discussion, I have decided to seek the office of the Presidency of the United States,” he wrote in a more than 2,000-word statement posted on his campaign website.

The letter highlighted Webb’s military experience. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps and was awarded two Purple Hearts and several other distinctions in the Vietnam War. Webb also served as Secretary of the Navy and as an Assistant Secretary of Defense.

"There is no greater responsibility for our President than the vital role of Commander in Chief,” he wrote. “Let me assure you, as President I would not have urged an invasion of Iraq, nor as a Senator would I have voted to authorize it,” he continued drawing a clear distinction between himself and Clinton, who voted for the war.

He also criticized several other initiatives from the Obama White House.

"I would not have been the President who used military force in Libya during the Arab Spring,” he wrote, adding: "I would not be the President to sign an executive order establishing a long-term relationship with Iran if it accepts Iran’s acquisition of nuclear weapons.”

He has been traveling the country in recent weeks, speaking to voters in several of the state, including Iowa, that hold early nominating contests.

But Webb faces long odds. A poll out on Thursday from Quinnipiac University shows Webb barely registering among likely Democratic caucus-goers in Iowa. According to the poll, he garners the support of around 1 percent of Democrats.

"I understand the odds, particularly in today’s political climate where fair debate is so often drowned out by huge sums of money," he wrote. "But our country needs a fresh approach to solving the problems that confront us and too often unnecessarily divide us."

Webb also the author of five books, including "Fields of Fire," a novel published in 1978 about the Vietnam War.