As we’re gearing up for the 2020 presidential elections a multitude of politicians from the Democratic Party have announced their bid to run. Similarly to the Republican Party before the 2016 elections, there are many current and former politicians entering the race. While this number will surely decrease later in 2019 and into 2020, there are still many hoping to take on Donald Trump in the election. Here are some of the politicians who have officially announced their presidential campaigns. Even though the first elections are not for a little while, it is important to familiarize yourself with the different candidates.
*Discussions of fundraising specifically concerning PAC money has been left out of the candidates’ descriptions as many have pledged to refuse PAC and corporate funds.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand:
Sen. Gillibrand represents New York state and before holding office as senator was a representative for the NYS 20th congressional district. Sen. Gillibrand has a persistently anti-Trump record in the U.S. Senate. She is a strong believer in a national plan for paid family leave and has been a front runner on the Senate floor in issues of women’s equality and reproductive rights.
Representative Beto O’Rourke:
Rep. O’Rourke represented Texas’ 13th congressional district for three terms before running for the U.S. Senate in the 2018 mid-term elections. Unfortunately, he was defeated by unseated Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. However, during his run for Senate, he gained popularity on social media amongst many Democrats. In his recent announcement for the 2020 elections, he has addressed issues of the border, universal health care, climate change, and racial incarceration.
Senator Bernie Sanders:
Sen. Sanders currently represents the state of Vermont and has been serving since 2007. Sen. Sanders also ran during the 2016 primary elections for the Democratic nomination for president before losing to Hillary Clinton. Sen. Sanders has been passionate about issues of climate change, student debt, labor wages, and universal health care. He has also oftentimes been labeled as a democratic socialist as many of his views and agendas are very progressive.
Senator Amy Klobuchar:
Currently the Minnesota senator, Sen. Klobuchar is one of the prominent candidates representing the Midwestern region of the U.S. According to GovTrack, in 2016 by the end of the 114th Congress, Sen. Klobuchar passed more legislation than any other senator. She is focusing on issues of health care costs, election security, and agriculture and trade.
Senator Elizabeth Warren:
Sen. Warren of Massachusetts became one of the first Democrats to announce their run for the presidential nomination. Sen. Warren has been serving Massachusetts since 2013 and is well known progressive figure. She has been active in calling out Donald Trump and has pointed out the flaws in many of his decisions and statements. She is outspoken about issues regarding the corruption of Washington, rebuilding the middle class, and criminal justice reform.
Senator Cory Booker:
Sen. Booker is the current senator of New Jersey and has been serving in this position since 2013. Formally he served as the 36th Mayor of Newark, NJ and can be seen as a more centrist leader. He is a supporter of both Medicare for All and the Green New Deal. He is also concerned with issues of jobs and has proposed plans to combat this issue. Sen. Booker has been very outspoken about the need to reform the American criminal justice system.
Senator Kamala Harris:
Sen. Harris is a first-term senator from California and previously served as attorney general. While only her first-term in the Senate, she has already made a name for herself by participating in many important senatorial hearings, such as the hearings of Brett Kavanaugh. Her campaign addresses the issues of health care, the current American economy, immigration, women’s rights, and the ban of assault weapons.
Along with the many Democratic candidates running in hopes of winning the presidential nomination, there is also a Republican politician who announced his campaign in hopes to defeat Donald Trump in the Republican primary.
Former Gov. Bill Weld:
Weld, is the former governor of Massachusetts and has announced that he wants to take on Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential race. While he is running, hoping to win the Republican ticket, he often supports more liberal issues.
*Note that these are only some of the candidates in the running for the 2020 elections.