Al Gore Makes It Official

With the new year, there's officially a new entry in the Democrats' race for the presidential nomination: Vice President Al Gore.

Gore was mailing papers Friday to the Federal Election Commission establishing a presidential campaign committee for the 2000 election, his staff chief, Ron Klain, said Thursday.

The papers will name Jose Villarreal, a prominent Hispanic activist in Texas Democratic politics and a deputy manager of Gore and President Clinton's 1992 campaign, as the campaign treasurer, Klain said.

"While no formal announcement is being made right now, we have filed the necessary forms on behalf of the vice president so that initial preparations can go forward," Villarreal said.

Gore is the third Democrat to form a committee for seeking the party's presidential nomination in 2000. Former Sen. Bill Bradley of New Jersey formed an exploratory committee the first week of December, and Sen. Paul Wellstone of Minnesota also has established an exploratory committee for raising money for a presidential bid.

Other possible contenders for the Democratic party's presidential nomination include House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri, Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts and civil rights activist Jesse Jackson.

Another Democrat, Sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, announced two weeks ago he would not seek the presidency in 2000.

White House political director Craig Smith, a veteran of the 1996 Clinton-Gore campaigns of 1992 and 1996, agreed in November to be Gore's campaign manager in the 2000 race.

Others joining his campaign staff include Brian Foucart as chief financial officer, Tina Slournoy as financial director, Eric Kleinfeld as general counsel and Lyn Utrecht as counsel.