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Article snippet: Sen. MORE (I-Vt.) is expected to launch a 2020 presidential exploratory committee next week, according to two people familiar with the plans. Sanders is gearing up to release a video in the coming days announcing his exploratory committee. News that Sanders had already recorded the announcement video was first reported on Saturday by Politico. Sanders’s anticipated announcement is part of a so-called soft launch of a campaign, one person familiar with the plans told The Hill. Forming an exploratory committee will allow Sanders to begin laying the groundwork of a campaign by raising money and hiring staff. A spokesperson for Sanders denied on Saturday that the senator was planning for a 2020 exploratory committee announcement next week. In jumping into the presidential race, Sanders would join an already crowded field of contenders for the Democratic nomination that so far includes Sens. MORE (D-N.Y.) and a handful of others. Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, mounted an insurgent challenge to MORE for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016. While he ultimately fell short in that contest, the progressive firebrand built a vast network of grass-roots supporters and notched wins in a handful of key states, including New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Michigan. Since then, Sanders has proven to be an influential figure in Democratic politics. Some of the senator’s signature policy proposals, like "Medicare for all" and a $15 minimum wage, have gained t... Link to the full article to read more