Retired general Wesley Clark has announced he will make a run for the White House to join nine other Democrats in the crowded 2004 race.
A top Pentagon war planner who headed the 1999 bombing campaign in Kosovo but opposed the Iraq war, the former NATO commander made his announcement on early morning television programmes, saying he had the right skills to serve "in this very important time" in US history.
"I will be in," Mr Clark, told NBC's Todayshow on Wednesday. He was set to officially announce his candidacy in his hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas.
Mr Clark's entry comes four months before the first major tests in Iowa and New Hampshire and shakes up a volatile contest that has focused on the Iraq war and the economy.
He reiterated his opposition to the US-led invasion of Iraq and told ABC's Good Morning Americait was an "unnecessary war" that was poorly planned, especially for the aftermath.
His military CV allows him to challenge Republican President George W. Bush's credentials as commander in chief, and his decorated war veteran background nullifies the argument of Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts that he is the only Democratic contender with combat experience.
Moreover, his public opposition to the Iraq war makes former Vermont governor Howard Dean share the anti-war mantle. In addition, Mr Clark's southern roots could siphon support from US Senators Bob Graham of Florida and John Edwards of North Carolina.
But Mr Clark's late start puts him at a fund-raising and organisational disadvantage. Nonetheless, he has attracted strong grass-roots support on the Internet and a Draft Clark website has gathered pledges of more than $1.3 million that will be turned over to him.