Her second bid for the White House comes seven years after she was defeated by an upstart Barack Obama and forced to admit she was unable to "crack the highest, hardest glass ceiling" for women in US politics.

 

Mrs Clinton has been known to the American people for decades as a First Lady who stood by her husband during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, a senator from New York and a globe-trotting US secretary of state.

 

But the 67-year-old, who recently became a grandmother, hopes to re-introduce herself to voters as a gentler and more human candidate who is taking nothing for granted.

 

She launched the campaign with a short online video where she promised to be a "champion for everyday Americans", who would represent the country's traditional heartland as well as a rapidly changing country that includes gay people and ethnic² minorities.

 

"I'm hitting the road to earn your vote, because it's your time and I hope you will join me on this journey," she said.

 

Her campaign, which will be officially known as Hillary for America, said it would be "humble³" in its effort to make her the most powerful person in the world.

 

Mrs Clinton's second quest for the White House is likely to begin with small-scale events in Iowa, the rural state where Mr Obama's insurgent⁴ first defeated her in 2008.

 

The candidate is expected to hold intimate events in coffee shops and community centres rather than mega-rallies in front of thousands of supporters.

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