The past few weeks have seen a number of new people entering the fray as potential Democratic candidates for the 2020 presidential race. So far, eight people have announced their bid for president where they hope to take on Trump, who is expected to be the Republican Party’s candidate in 2020. This list is expected to grow longer as we get closer to 2020, but here is a list of candidates so far.
Julián Castro
On January 12, 2019, the former mayor of San Antonio and the Housing and Urban Development secretary during the Obama administration, announced that he is running for president in 2020. Castro, who is Mexican-American, made his announcement in both English and Spanish. “I’m running for president because it’s time for new leadership, it’s time for new energy, it’s time for new commitment to make sure the opportunities that I had are available to every American,” he said. In his speech, he mentions several issues including healthcare, immigration reform, and criminal justice reform, as well as reiterating his support for Black Lives Matter.
Kirsten Gillibrand
The New York Senator announced her bid for presidency on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on January 15, 2019. “I’m going to run for president of the United States because as a young mom, I will fight for your children, as my own healthcare should be a right not a privilege,” she said. The first thing she wants to do as president is reunite the country and then address climate change. Gillibrand is the second female U.S. Senator to announce plans to run for the presidency.
Kamala Harris
Senator Harris of California announced her presidential run via Twitter on January 21, 2019. She is the fourth female candidate to enter the 2020 race, as well as the first African-American. Her official announcement, which came out on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, attests to that significance. Harris’ campaign slogan “For the People” is a reference to her desire to lift up and bring together the voices of the American people.
Elizabeth Warren
Senator Warren was the first in the recent string of presidential announcements to make public her bid for president, with her announcement coming on New Year’s Eve. In her video announcement, she talked about income inequality and the economy. Warren also outlined a campaign that focused on healthcare and education costs. Warren already has the beginnings of a campaign team with a dedicated staff and campaign policies, as well as outside advocates and a grassroots fundraising operation.
Tulsi Gabbard
The state Representative from Hawaii announced her run in an interview which ran on CNN’s “The Van Jones Show.” During the interview she says, “There are a lot of reasons for me to make this decision. There are a lot of challenges that are facing the American people that I’m concerned about and that I want to help solve.” Gabbard mentioned issues she would want to address as president including healthcare, criminal justice reform, and climate change.
John Delaney
The Maryland state Representative announced his presidential run back in 2017, choosing to pass up on a run for Maryland governor. He entered with no national profile within the Democratic Party and a voting record that indicates more moderate votes that didn’t line up with the party’s progressive primary electorate. Delaney is a self-made businessman that has started two companies and could put forth his own money into the campaign.
Richard Ojeda
Ojeda, the former Army paratrooper and congressional candidate who lost his 2018 bid as a Democrat in West Virginia, announced his presidential run at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. An open critic of Trump he says, “I stand with the working-class citizens. I am a Democrat because I believe in what the Democratic Party is supposed to be: taking care of our working-class citizens.” He argues that the Democratic Party has lost its roots and become a party that is only motivated by donors and special interests.
Andrew Yang
The newly announced presidential candidate is outside of the political establishment and instead is a part of the business world as an entrepreneur. Yang believes that “the automation of labor places a third of all American jobs under threat.” He also believes that the answer to this issue is universal basic income, proposing that every American between 18 and 64 receive $1,000 a month and calls it the “Freedom Dividend.”