Regardless of the results of the Democratic primary, there is inspiration that can be found amongst the women who bravely took a stand and are continuing to take a stand in the presidential election, fighting against opposition to create the America they want. The presidential arena has been overwhelmingly dominated by men since the United State’s creation, but we get closer to equality every time a woman stands up and threatens this status quo.
There were six women who ran for the 2020 presidential campaign and here is what they stood for:
- Elizabeth Warren
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Elizabeth Warren is a Massachusetts senator, running a campaign to shift power dynamics from the rich to the working class, to break up monopolies, create medicare for all and cancel student loan debt, among other things. Her target voter group remains the working class. In order to fund her hefty goals, she proposed a wealth tax of a 2 percent annual tax on a household’s net worth between $50 million and $1 billion, and a 6 percent tax on net worth above $1 billion. Warren said, “When the government works only for the wealthy and the well-connected, that is corruption, plain and simple, and we need to call it out.”
- Kamala Harris
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Kamala Harris is a California senator who ran for president in order to give voice to marginalized groups such as women, people of color and low-income Americans because she “believe[s] our country wants and needs some leadership that provides a vision of the country in which everyone could see themselves.” Kamala Harris was especially careful, about not going too far to the left, preferring to stay slightly moderate, ultimately leading to anger from the far left. Nonetheless, she stuck to her beliefs and faced hatred from her opposition with grace.
- Kirsten Gillibrand
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New York Senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, ran for the presidency as an advocate for women and families, believing that “women have a unique ability to bring people together and heal this country.” She also advocated for gay rights, paid family leave and fighting sexual assault in the military. Despite her noble plans, she garnered very little public support, but we can nonetheless learn from her campaign, integrating her advocacy into the future of our country.
- Amy Klobuchar
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Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Senator, ran for president as a moderate Democrat, emphasizing a bipartisan approach, arguing that’s the best chance at winning the presidency. She also hoped to fight addiction and advocate for mental health. With a moderate approach, she argues that it’s “time to organize, time to galvanize, time to take back our democracy,” a mentality we can keep with us as we go into the final steps of the presidential election.
- Tulsi Gabbard
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Tulis Gabbard is a congresswoman serving Hawaii’s Second District after having been deployed as a field medic in Iraq. She now focuses mainly on foreign policy in her politics. She believes in taking the United States out of international conflict and focusing on making peace, according to the NY Times. She says she wants to “end these wasteful regime-change wars.” She may not be a front running candidate, but her belief in international peace is a liberal, Democratic ideal that one can hope the ultimate Democratic candidate will take into consideration.
- Marianne Williamson
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Marianne Williamson is a more unique candidate for this election. Neither a senator nor congresswoman, Williamson is a self-help author, building her campaign upon a foundation of peace and love. She wants to create a Department of Peace to help combat white supremacy, find non-military solutions to conflict, amongst a variety of other things. She also wants to give monetary reparations to African Americans, claiming that, “We need to recognize, when it comes to the economic gap between blacks and whites in America, it does come from a great injustice that has never been dealt with.” It is clear that Williamson had a more equal and kind America in mind when considering what her leadership would be.
Politics can be incredibly polarizing and overwhelming for people, especially during the election season, but there is something so inspiring about the women who choose to partake in it. We hope you feel inspired to make your voice heard this year.