PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon said Thursday that he will run for reelection next year to seek a fourth term in Congress. In a statement, the 68-year-old denounced theTrump administrationand described efforts to stand against growing threats to democracy as "the fight of our lives, and I'm not backing down." "This is a dark and dangerous time for our democracy, and the only way through it is together," he said. Merkley is the top Democrat on the powerful Senate Budget Committee. His most recent reelection to the Senate wasin 2020,with nearly 57% of the vote. Merkley has served in Congress since 2009. Before that, he served roughly a decade in the Oregon House of Representatives. Oregon's other Democratic senator, Ron Wyden, isn't up for reelection until 2028.