Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley Jeffrey (Jeff) Alan MerkleyThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Trump, Biden renew push for Latino support Sunday shows - Trump team defends coronavirus response Oregon senator says Trump's blame on 'forest management' for wildfires is 'just a big and devastating lie' MORE announced early Tuesday that he will not seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, but will run for reelection.

"I believe that there are Democrats now in the presidential race who are speaking to the importance of tackling the big challenges we face," he said in a video announcing his decision.

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Merkley in the video denounced the "climate crisis" and said "we are in a battle for the soul of our nation."

He added that he felt he could contribute more in the Senate than by running for the White House.

“Over the last year, I’ve weighed whether I could contribute more to the battle by running for president or by running for reelection to the Senate," he said.

"To win these battles, we need both strong leadership in the Oval Office and strong leadership in the Senate," Merkley said. "My best contribution is to run for reelection and do all I can to help the Senate be a full partner in addressing the challenges before us.”

Merkley had previously said he was considering a White House bid, telling ABC News last December that his family was on board with the possibility.

"They had a veto over the project, and they have all now given it a thumbs-up,” he said at the time.

The senator would have joined a crowded field of Democratic candidates in the next election cycle.

Sens. Kamala Harris Kamala HarrisButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice First presidential debate to cover coronavirus, Supreme Court Harris joins women's voter mobilization event also featuring Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda MORE (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenHarris joins women's voter mobilization event also featuring Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda Judd Gregg: The Kamala threat — the Californiaization of America GOP set to release controversial Biden report MORE (D-Mass.), Amy Klobuchar Amy KlobucharSocial media platforms put muscle into National Voter Registration Day Battle lines drawn on precedent in Supreme Court fight Sunday shows - Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death dominates MORE (D-Minn.), Cory Booker Cory Anthony BookerBipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death DHS opens probe into allegations at Georgia ICE facility Democratic lawmakers call for an investigation into allegations of medical neglect at Georgia ICE facility MORE (D-N.J.) and Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Bernie Sanders warns of 'nightmare scenario' if Trump refuses election results Harris joins women's voter mobilization event also featuring Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda MORE (I-Vt.) are just a handful of the announced candidates.

Merkley, who was the only senator to endorse Sanders in 2016, said in the video that he doesn't have any plans to make an endorsement this cycle "for a good length of time."

Merkley's announcement comes after former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot Poll: 51 percent of voters want to abolish the electoral college MORE told a local cable television channel on Tuesday that she's also not running in 2020.

"I'm not running," the 2016 Democratic nominee told News 12 Westchester. But Clinton added that she would continue "working and speaking and standing up for what I believe."

"I want to be sure that people understand I'm going to keep speaking out," the former secretary of State told the local news network. "I'm not going anywhere. What's at stake in our country, the kinds of things that are happening right now, are deeply troubling to me."

— This report was updated at 7:26 a.m.