The night that Donald Trump was elected president of the United States, 2020 felt like a world away. Nobody had thought much about the next presidential election (remember how 2016 felt like it lasted a decade?). More than two years later, we’ve just about recovered from our collective shock—right in time for the announcements for the 2020 presidential race to come flooding in.
This election, a nationwide referendum of sorts on President Donald Trump, could be even more divisive and politically charged than 2016. We already know that the president doesn’t hold back from critiquing his opponents in ways sexist, racist, and otherwise discriminatory, and we know that Republicans emboldened by Trump’s win are happy to echo him. We know that the Democratic field has never been more diverse, blunt, and straight-up angry, charging towards their one shot to overthrow Trump and his ever-changing band of merry men.
So, are you ready for the political showdown that will be 2019-2020? No, me neither, but let’s take a look anyway?
Confirmed To Be Running
Joe Biden (D)
Who?
The former vice president of the United States.
How do I know him?
He was the second-in-command to 44th President of the United States Barack Obama.
What are his key issues?
In his announcement video, Biden began by discussing the white supremacy march that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017. He did not, however, mention Heather Heyer, who was killed while protesting the rally, by name. Instead, he referred to her as a “brave young woman.” Biden credits the Charlottesville riots as the reason why he decided to run stating, “We are living through a battle for the soul of this nation.”
Wayne Messam (D)
Who?
The former Florida State football player and current mayor of Miramar, Florida.
How do I know him?
Unless you live in Miramar, Florida or follow the Seminoles closely, you probably don’t. Messam was elected mayor of the city, population 120,000, in 2015, and was the first black man to ever hold the role in Miramar. He’s also the president of the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials.
What are his key issues?
Messam is seeking to tackle issues that the mayor says are crucial to America’s future—gun control, climate change, and health care. “We are not addressing these high-stakes problems,” he said during his official announcement. He’s a long-shot candidate, but so seemed Pete Buttigieg, who has gained a loyal following, and so was Bernie Sanders, so don’t write this guy off just yet.
Beto O’Rourke (D)
Who?
The Democratic challenger to Ted Cruz’s Senate seat in Texas last November. O’Rourke got closer to turning Texas blue than anybody expected, but ultimately lost.
How do I know him?
You probably first heard of him in the run-up to the midterms, when the former congressman was presented as an example of the “blue wave” that could sweep Congress during the Trump administration’s first midterms. O’Rourke shattered fundraising records and was compared to an early-career Obama—and it was a huge blow for Democrats when O’Rourke couldn’t unseat Cruz. Also, he made the cover of Vanity Fair this month.
What are his key issues?
When it comes to O’Rourke, it’s all about personality. What he lacks in concrete accomplishments—he’s only 46, and spent six years as a congressman for Texas’ 16th district—he makes up for with a charisma that has been compared to Obama’s and Bill Clinton’s.
Bernie Sanders (D)
Who?
The Democrat challenger to Hillary Clinton in 2016.
How do I know him?
Sanders lost to Clinton in the Democrat primaries, but gained more support than anybody expected. The senator from Vermont inspired a legion of “Bernie bros,” among other supporters, and brought the term “Democratic socialist” into the mainstream. His passionate grassroots campaign is credited with pushing the Democratic Party to the left.
What are his key issues?
During his 2016 run, the once-long shot candidate surprised pundits by inspiring an small army of grassroots supporters. He’ll try to capitalize on that support in 2020, and will lean into his reputation as a tell-it-like-it-is candidate with an unflinching moral code. “We began the political revolution in the 2016 campaign, and now it’s time to move that revolution forward,” Sanders said in his announcement interview with a Vermont public radio station Tuesday.
Amy Klobuchar (D)
Who?
The longtime senator from Minnesota who boasts a reputation of working well with both sides of the aisle.
How do I know her?
She’s framed herself as a symbol of Midwestern grit, even announcing her decision to run for president in the middle of a snowstorm. “I did this announcement speech in the middle of a blizzard and I think we need people with grit—I have that grit,” she told CNN afterwards. But Klobuchar’s campaign has been undermined by reports that her staff has disliked working with her (a criticism derided by some observers for being sexist), to which she’s responded, “I can be tough.”
What are her key issues?
Klobuchar looks poised to frame herself as the bipartisan underdog who can use her Midwestern “grit” to take on the most formidable of opponents: Trump. “I would have liked to seen him sitting here in the snow for an hour giving this speech,” she told assembled press after her announcement.
Jay Inslee (D)
Who?
The current governor of Washington State.
How do I know him?
Along with Washington State’s attorney general and solicitor general, Inslee famously sued the Trump administration over its notorious travel ban. He also headed up the Governors’ Association for the Democratic party during the midterms, meaning he’s partially responsible for the Democratic wins across state governorships in 2018.
What are his key issues?
More than any other candidate, Inslee is focused on climate change. (Even Bill Nye was featured in his campaign video.) In December, Inslee hinted that the role played by global warming in the devastating California fires had encouraged him to considering running, saying: “We have to act now. There is no acting tomorrow. This is a today emergency, if you will.”
John Hickenlooper (D)
Who?
The latest ex- or current governor to throw his hat in the ring. Hickenlooper served as governor of Colorado between 2011 until this past January.
How do I know him?
He oversaw the rapid growth of the medical and recreational marijuana industry in Colorado (in spite of initially declaring, “This was a bad idea”—he’s since come around). Under his watch, Colorado has become significantly more progressive, with Hickenlooper also seeking to end homelessness in the state and signing a number of gun-control bills that crossed his desk. Still, he calls himself an “extreme moderate.”
What are his key issues?
Well, that’s the hard part. He’s the 17th Democratic candidate to announce he’s joining the 2020 race, and although his time as Colorado’s governor is considered a success (particularly when it comes to the state’s now-thriving economy), he may struggle to stand out. “I’ve proven again and again I can bring people together to produce the progressive change Washington has failed to deliver,” he said in his campaign video.
Kamala Harris (D)
Who?
The former attorney general of California and the first senator ever elected of either Indian or Jamaican descent (her mom is originally from Chennai, an Indian state, and her dad Jamaica).
How do I know her?
The popular ex-prosecutor took over Sen. Barbara Boxer’s Senate seat in 2016, and has been solidly in the political spotlight ever since. As far back as 2008, she was tipped to be the next Democratic star, thanks to her high approval ratings with vastly different groups of Democrats.
What are her key issues?
Harris has earned a reputation for standing up against injustice, a theme she touched on when she announced her presidential run. “Justice. Decency. Equality. Freedom. Democracy…They’re the values we as Americans cherish. And they’re all on the line now,” she said in a video released in late January. She’ll likely lean into this “speaking truth to power” message during her run.
Kirsten Gillibrand (D)
Who?
The longtime senator from New York who has vehemently spoken out against Trump from day one.
How do I know her?
She’s a fierce advocate for victims of sexual harassment and assault, particularly when it comes to sexual assault in the military, and has passionately opposed Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. She’s also fought Trump on multiple fronts over the course of his presidency, suggesting he resign after allegations of sexual assault and opposing his nominees for numerous administration positions.
What are her key issues?
She’s expected to make women’s rights a key part of her platform. Expect her to be grilled by opponents on her shifting policies over the years, which have seen her transform from a pro-gun conservative to one of the most vocal Democratic voices in the nation.
“I’m going to run for president of the United States because as a young mom, I’m going to fight for other people’s kids as hard as I would fight for my own,” she told Stephen Colbert.
Julian Castro (D)
Who?
He’s the former Mayor of San Antonio, Texas, and was the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Obama.
How do I know him?
He’s part of a political twin! His brother Joaquin is a congressman representing Texas’ 20th. Julian has been something of a darling to the Democrats for years—there was even speculation that he might get Hillary’s VP slot in 2016.
What are his key issues?
He’s the proud grandson of immigrants and, as the New York Times put it, “one of the most high-profile Latino Democrats to ever seek the nomination”—so chances are good he’s going to come after Trump on immigration.
Tulsi Gabbard (D)
Who?
The 37-year-old woman who’s served as Hawaii’s 2nd district representative since 2013. She’s an Iraq war veteran and also the first Hindu ever sworn into Congress.
How do I know her?
She’s long been considered a rising Democratic star, known for reaching across the aisle and for speaking her mind. That last part got her into some trouble in 2016, when she publicly backed Bernie Sanders, despite the DNC’s urging that everyone in Congress get into lockstep with Hillary Clinton. Now, though, that move makes her look like a progressive ahead of her time.
What are her key issues?
Naturally, she wants to make sure our veterans are treated properly, and for her that includes speaking out against hasty military intervention. She has also said that combating climate change will be a big part of her platform.
John Delaney (D)
Who?
Former three-term Congressional representative from Maryland’s 6th district.
How do I know him?
He was the first to announce his presidential bid, though speculation swirled about what he was up to way back in May 2017. It only got louder when he declared he wouldn’t seek reelection last year—now we know it was to focus on the campaign.
What are his key issues?
He’s a centrist, so he holds pretty classic Democrat views on things like jobs, immigration, and veterans, but argues that change only occurs with bipartisan support. As President, he says he wants to be a unifier.
Andrew Yang (D)
Who?
A Columbia grad and lawyer who has spent several years working in Silicon Valley. He also started the Venture for America nonprofit, which helps young entrepreneurs start businesses.
How do I know him?
You probably don’t yet, since he doesn’t have political experience, but his interesting platform is starting to get him noticed.
What are his key issues?
Yang has observed that the only way to prevent more Trump-like electoral upsets in the future is to replace the income of people whose jobs that are being zapped up by automation (so everyone, basically). His solution is to give every citizen $1,000 a month to stimulate the economy. It would be paid for by a Value Added Tax on every transaction, similar to how some European countries tax transactions.
It’s a radical idea at a time when people just might be interested in radical ideas.
Elizabeth Warren (D)
Who?
0The economic scholar and senior senator from Massachusetts, a.k.a. the only person Trump appears to see as a credible threat to his presidency.
How do I know her?
For a start, you’ve probably seen Trump’s increasingly agitated tweets about her. You’ll have heard about her ascent to higher office after the 2008 financial crisis, and how eminently well-qualified she is when it comes to the economy. And you’ve definitely heard about the “Pocahontas” controversy.
Will she run?
While she hasn’t formally announced that she’s running (yet), Warren was the first serious candidate to declare that she was forming an exploratory committee to look into the possibility. Spoiler: It’s a lot more than a possibility.
Richard Ojeda (D)
Who?
Former West Virginia Senator and retired Army Major.
1How do I know him?
He voted for Trump in 2016, but then sided with educators in the big 2018 West Virginia teachers’ strike over low pay and high healthcare. Now he’s running in opposition to Trump.
What are his key issues?
He believes in Medicare for all, thinks legalized cannabis will help alleviate West Virginia’s opioid crisis, and wants an end to lucrative lobbying on Capitol Hill. He’s considered a populist leftist and, as a tattooed former paratrooper, will be an interesting candidate to watch.
Donald Trump (R)
Who?
The current POTUS.
How do I know him?
2He’s probably the reason your therapy bills went up a couple years ago.
What are his key issues?
At the time of publication, the government was shut down over funding for his Mexican border wall. Immigration is clearly a big issue, specifically how he thinks there should be less of it. (Remember the Muslim ban, which quietly remains a huge issue?) He’s also tried to reshape the U.S.’s foreign policy, including how the military handles foreign disputes in places like Syria and Afghanistan, how our diplomats deal with former adversaries like Russia and North Korea, and how our businesses handle trade deals with China.
Rumoured To Be Running
Michael Bloomberg (D)
Who?
You know, the former New York mayor and tech gazillionaire who has poured money into environmental and gun-control groups in recent years.
How do I know him?
You know Bloomberg News, the media conglomerate, and the Bloomberg Terminal, the financial software mainstay? Yeah, that’s him. He also served as mayor of New York City for 11 years. He’s one of the richest people in the world, to the tune of $51.8 billion.
3Will he run?
The jury’s out on this one. Although Bloomberg has been generally liberal his entire career, he served as Mayor as a Republican, and has previously mulled running as an independent. This time around, he says he’d run as a Democrat, but simply hasn’t decided yet.
Cory Booker (D)
Who?
The former Newark mayor and the first black senator to represent New Jersey.
How do I know him?
You’ve probably heard mention of Booker as one of the fresh faces of the Democratic Party—at 49, Booker is considered to have a long and illustrious political career ahead of him, whether he runs for president in 2020 or not. He was in the final three to be the vice presidential pick for Clinton in 2016, but no dice.
Will he run?
4When asked whether he’d run in 2020, he said, “Life is about purpose, not position”—which doesn’t really answer the question. But as with Harris, if he doesn’t run this time around, you can pretty much expect him to do so in the future.
This article originally appeared on marie claire US
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