Self-help author is first Democrat to challenge Joe Biden for party nomination

Self-help author Marianne Williamson speaks to the crowd (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

Self-help author Marianne Williamson, whose 2020 White House campaign featured more quirky calls for spiritual healing than actual voter support, launched another longshot bid for the presidency, becoming the first Democrat to formally challenge President Joe Biden for the 2024 nomination.

“We are upset about this country, we’re worried about this country,” Ms Williamson told a crowd of more than 600 at a kickooff in the nation’s capital, Washington DC.