A Look at the Current 2020 Presidential Candidates

A+Look+at+the+Current+2020+Presidential+Candidates

Photo courtesy of Politico

Isabella Webb, Journalist

With just over six months until the highly anticipated 2020 presidential election, candidates of all party affiliations are gearing up. According to Ballotpedia, 630 candidates have already registered for the race as of March 25th. Of these candidates, 211 are Democrat, 81 are Republican, 20 are Libertarian, and 13 are running with the Green Party. Among these candidates are an unprecedented number of women. With so many candidate hopefuls, media outlets keep updated lists of polls and speculation on which candidates will receive the coveted nomination from their party.

While it appears that Trump’s 2016 election has inspired billionaires, celebrities, and CEO’s to consider making a presidential bid, the more likely nominees are the ones with experience in government. The 2020 presidential election will be very interesting, to say the least. Therefore, it is important to be familiar with those running. In no particular order, here are 10 notable candidates that are currently or have previously held public office.

  1. Tulsi Gabbard announced her presidential bid on January 11, 2019. She has been serving as a the U.S. Representative for District 2 in Hawaii since 2013, and is a veteran of the Iraq War. A member of the Democratic Party, Gabbard’s website lists the housing crisis, criminal justice, education, and healthcare as among her top priorities for legislative reform.

  2. Another Democrat, Pete Buttigieg has been the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, since 2011. Bittigieg was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserve and served in Afghanistan. He is the first openly gay presidential candidate, and at 39 years old, represents a fresh face in politics.

  3. Robert O’Rouke, popularly known as Beto, is a musician, businessman, and former U.S. Representative from Texas. Though a member of the Democratic Party, O’Rouke has also been called a progressive and centrist, and has demonstrated bipartensenship during his time in Congress.

  4. Democrat Elizabeth Warren is a U.S. senator from Massachusetts and a popular face in politics. She formed an exploratory committee on December 31, 2018 and officially announced that she was running for president on February 9, 2019.

  5. Cory Booker is the first African American senator from New Jersey. A Democrat known for his optimistic views, he announced that he was running for president on February 1, 2019.

  6. Kamala Harris is another household name. She is a U.S. senator from California, and served as the District Attorney of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011 and California’s Attorney General 2011 to 2017. Since becoming a senator, Harris has supported progressive legislation such as Medicare-for-all, the legalization of recreational marijuana, and increasing taxes on the wealthy while decreasing taxes on the poor.

  7. Amy Klobuchar is the senior U.S. senator representing Minnesota. She was elected as Minnesota’s first female senator in 2006, and is recognized for being bipartisan and having passed more legislation than any other senator.

  8. Bernie Sanders, a self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist, is internationally recognized for his 2016 presidential bid in which Hillary Clinton beat him out for the Democratic Party’s nomination. Sanders announced his intent to run again in the 2020 presidential race on February 19, 2019.

  9. A Democrat from New York, Kirsten Gillibrand has served as a U.S. Representative and is currently the junior New York Senator. Gillibrand is outspoken on issues such as sexual assault in the military and paid family leave, and helped to lead the successful repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.
  10. Of course the list wouldn’t be complete without the current sitting president, Donald Trump. He officially filed to run for re-election in 2020 on January 20, 2017 and is so far expected to receive the nomination of the Republican Party.