As in past Thanksgivings, you probably avoided talking about politics this past Thursday. But some high-profile (and not so well-known) politicians didn’t hesitate to dive into what would be the deciding conversations with their families on whether or not to run for president in 2020. The time from Thanksgiving to New Year’s is when people usually make up their mind on a presidential campaign. If they don’t announce before January, we will start hearing from the what is expected to be 20 or so Democratic candidates in 2019. Next year will serve as a slow climax to the 2020 primary season, where Democrats will slug it out for their party’s presidential nomination. Below are some of the people seen as potential candidates in 2020.
In 2016, many thought former Vice President Joe Biden would run for president. After the election, many claimed Biden would’ve easily beat Trump. Unfortunately, family tragedy prevented Biden from running that year. As 2020 approaches, many are looking to Biden again in the hopes that he’ll run. The Democrat from Delaware currently has 26% of Democratic voter support, leading the field.
Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey has said publicly that he’s thinking about running for president. Recently, he spoke with two presidential campaign strategists in Iowa, the first state to vote in the primary process. Also, the two strategists worked for former State Secretary Hillary Clinton’s and former President Barack Obama’s campaigns. Booker’s trip to Iowa is seen as a follow-up to his trip in October, when he met numerous political operatives with connections in the state. According to CNBC, Booker is also planning to meet with strategists in New Hampshire and South Carolina, two other early primary states. The most recent national primary polling puts Booker at three percent.
Though Biden leads the field, most of the anticipation is centered around Kamala Harris, a senator from California. The former state attorney general would stand out among the crowd of mostly (presumably) white contenders, but also for her strong vocal opposition to Trump appointees like Justice Brett Kavanaugh. She is one of many high-profile women predicted to enter the 2020 race, joining Kirsten Gillibrand and Elizabeth Warren. Harris currently has four percent of support.
When Obama first ran in 2008, he was a first-term senator from Illinois with not a lot of name recognition. Despite that, he inspired millions and presented a fresh face for the Democratic party. Many are now comparing Representative Beto O’Rourke of Texas to 2008 Obama, with some even calling him the “white Obama.” O’Rourke came onto the national stage after mounting a notable bid for a Senate seat, attempting to defeat Senator Ted Cruz in this year’s election. Though he failed, O’Rourke made predominantly Republican Texas a competitive state. That talent could be useful if he were running for president. So far, though, he hasn’t made any indication that he will do so, but the excitement around O’Rourke has launched him to eight percent of support.
You can’t talk about potential presidential candidates in 2020 without mentioning Bernie Sanders at least once. The senator from Vermont, technically an independent, would seek the Democratic nomination if he ran for president again. In a recent interview with MSNBC, Sanders stated that he’s considering another bid and would announce at the “appropriate time” if he decided to run. Sanders is currently second to Biden in polls, with 19% of support.