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The Future is Female: Women Running for President in 2020

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCSB chapter.

The 2020 election could potentially be the biggest clapback to the last 4 years with Donald Trump as President. Not only are there candidates who actively oppose Trump, but there are also women running.  For over 200 years, the United States has had exclusively male Presidents. Only as of 2009, had we elected our first President of color. In 2020, we will see more representation than ever when it comes to gender. The 2018 Primaries proved that women could not only run for Congress, but they could win in huge waves. It would be empowering to women nationwide to have a woman in the oval office. It’s about time. One of these four women could possibly be the first woman to serve as the President of the United States. 

Kamala Harris

Image via Tony Avelar/AP/REX/Shutterstock

“Kamala Harris is for the people”, is the slogan you’ll see throughout Harris’ presidential run. She’s been a California Senator since 2017 becoming the second African American woman to be elected into Senate. Another impressive accomplishment of Harris is that she was not only the first African American to serve as Attorney General of California, but she was also the first woman. Could she add being the first woman to be President to her list? Harris has a strong stance on protecting women’s reproductive rights, enforcing stricter gun-control legislation, and is ready to be on the “forefront of major civil rights battles” likes she’s been in the past. 

Tulsi Gabbard

Image via Alex Wong/Getty Images

If elected, Tulsi Gabbard would be the first woman, Hindu, and Pacific Islander to serve as President. When she was elected into Congress, she was the first American Samoan and Hindu member to be sworn in. According to Gabbard, her key platform issues are health care access, criminal justice reform, and climate change. Another key issue she’s stressed is war and peace. Most of her criticism, from both Republicans and Democrats, revolve around her meeting with Syrian Dictator Bashar Assad in January of 2017. To this day, she still defends her decision to meet with him and does not regret it.  Her campaign will be representative of foreign policy and the progressive left. 

Kirsten Gillibrand

Image via Scott Kowalchyk/CBS

Since January of 2009, Kirsten Gillibrand has served as the junior United States Senator from New York. She’s vocally expressed her disapproval with Trump, even with an iconic eye-roll directed towards Trump at the 2019 State of the Union Address (SOTU). Gillibrand is pro-gun control, but it wasn’t always that way. Her stance changed from anti-gun control after she met with parents who lost their teenage daughter to gun violence. In the past, she has voted with more conservative stances, but today her stances are overwhelmingly liberal. Her past voting history combined with her values today may appeal to moderate voters. This is a group that candidates will need to win over to ensure their Presidental victory. “I’m going to run for president of the United States because as a young mom I am going to fight for other people’s kids as hard as I would fight for my own,’’ Gillibrand said. 

Elizabeth Warren 

Image via Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images

Nevertheless, she persisted. This is a phrase linked with Elizabeth Warren after she was silenced on the Senate floor for speaking in opposition of Jeff Sessions’ nomination because of his anti-civil rights past. Warren is a woman who will speak up for those who are silenced until she is silenced herself. She’s been a Massachusetts Senator since 2013 gaining a massive following that extends far past Massachusetts’ border. In her Senate years, she’s been a prominent voice in the Banking Committee. Warren is notorious for aggressively interrogating leaders in the financial industry demanding the truth and stopping at nothing until she gets it. She’s vowed to take on corporations to fight corruption head-on, creating an America that works for everyone. In her campaign, Warren is prepared to challenge not only Trump but she’s also ready to shake the foundation of the federal government itself. “This is the fight of our lives. The fight to build an America where dreams are possible, an America that works for everyone. I am in that fight all the way,” said Warren at her rally formally announcing her candidacy for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. 

 

Hello, I'm Viv a Sociology Senior at UC Santa Barbara. I am a proud dog mom of four, avid concert-goer, and constant chipotle eater. I'm an aspiring journalist and I love being part of the HerCampus team. 
Adar Levy

UCSB '19

Adar is a fourth-year student at UC Santa Barbara, studying Sociology. She is an avid creative writer, podcast listener, music enthusiast, and foodie. Loving everything from fashion and lifestyle to women's empowerment, she hopes to work for a major women's publication one day. See what Adar is up to on Instagram @adarbear.