Despite month-long, even year-long, speculation, Hillary Clinton finally announced her intentions to run for president in 2016. She was the third major candidate to enter the race, following Senators Rand Paul and Ted Cruz, and is the first major player for the Democratic Party.

If elected, Clinton will have reached a goal she has pursued for years. When she ran in 2008, she was a heavy contender to win until current president Barack Obama strolled in and became a cultural phenomenon. But now, Clinton will likely dominate the Democratic ticket and is currently the favorite to win the presidency.

In her time as first lady during the 1990s, one of Clinton’s more famous acts was helping create the Health Security Act of 1993, known as the Clinton Health Care Plan. The proposed legislation sought to provide universal healthcare to Americans, but was vehemently opposed by the health care industry.

As a senator, she voted for the $60 billion stimulus package in 2008, and voted no on a bill to reduce federal spending. She also co-sponsored several bills totaling $502 billion in spending. This kind of record coupled with the fact that she was part of the Obama administration that saw the national debt skyrocket to record heights (currently sitting at $18 trillion) Republicans will paint Hillary as a big spender, and wisely so.

As far as the Republicans go, so far we have Cruz, who will likely prove too radical for the mainstream American public.

Of the two Republicans who have announced so far, Paul could give Clinton some competition should he get the Republican nod. While much of Paul’s message is textbook conservative mantra, his message of limited government, balanced budgets and smarter spending is one that many Americans want to hear. This coupled with the fact that he is often seen as a libertarian and therefore breaks away from conventional Republican actions, such as by supporting prison reform, Paul could prove to be a worthy opponent.

But if Clinton plays her cards right, she can still easily come out on top.

First, she needs to use the advantage that she’s obviously going to have: the female vote. Being a woman obviously gives her a step up, and polls show that she’s the obvious favorite among female voters. She can also play to the insensitivity of her opponents, like Rand Paul’s notorious instances of patronizing female reporters.

Then she needs to do exactly the opposite of what Democrats across the country did in the 2014 elections and support the accomplishments of the current Democratic president. Contrary to popular belief, the economy is doing quite well. The stock market and corporate profits are at record highs, unemployment is at 5.5 percent, the federal deficit has been slashed and nearly 90 percent of Americans have access to health care after the Affordable Care Act’s implementation.

Whether or not Clinton will go by this strategy remains to be seen, but one thing is certain – this will be a presidential campaign worth watching.