Former Sen. Jim Webb (D., Va.) said he'd have to "think" about whether he still considers himself a Democrat after announcing he would withdraw his bid for the party's 2016 presidential nomination Tuesday.
Webb could run as an independent and was asked by CNN's Dan Merica how he could appeal to the electorate independently after he failed to make headway in the polls as a Democrat. Webb said it had been difficult with the "dominance of one candidate"—Hillary Clinton—and the fundraising structures of the Democratic National Committee geared to help her win.
Among Webb's positions that go against the Democratic Party are his opposition to the Iran nuclear deal, support for gun rights and belief that all lives matter.
"I have issues that I care about that maybe aren't in line with that particular hierarchy, so we'll see," Webb said. "I'll tell you this. If you look at polls on where the American people are on these issues that I'm talking about, they are more in line with what I have been saying than they are in the Democratic Party's hierarchy."
"Do you still consider yourself a Democrat, though?" Merica asked. "Would you use that term to describe yourself?"
"We'll think about that," Webb said.
Webb, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, has a long career that included being secretary of the Navy under Ronald Reagan.