Fiorina 2016? Former HP CEO Enters Presidential Race

Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of HP, has announced her candidacy for a White House run in 2016.

Fiorina, 60, joins an already crowded field for the GOP nomination. Other Republicans who have declared include senators Mark Rubio (FL), Rand Paul (KY) and Ted Cruz (TX).

Fiorina worked as an advisor during John McCain’s failed 2008 bid. Early the following year, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

It’s going to be a long road for Fiorina, who has never held public office. She took on California senator Barbara Boxer in 2010, but struggled to raise campaign finances and was cast as an out-of-touch millionaire. Fiorina, who had a scant voting record herself, was roundly trounced by Boxer.

Fiorina’s elevation to CEO of HP was historic, but some questioned whether she was the right person for the job. The company’s stock took a beating during the dot-com bubble burst and Fiorina publicly feuded with the children of HP’s founder. She also presided over the merger with Compaq, which proved to be the last straw. Fiorina golden parachuted out of HP in February of 2005 with a $21 million severance package.

The run will coincide with a book she is releasing on Tuesday called, “Rising to the Challenge: My Leadership Journey.” Having already taken jabs at Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, Fiorina is positioning herself once again as a knowing outsider. Considering her executive performance once she was allowed inside at HP, the White House run appears destined to fail in short order.