In the past few months, a slew of politicians have announced their runs for President in the 2020 election. This barrage of names, positions, and ever-present scandals is daunting, if not off-putting, in regards to the presidential race. Politics, at its worst, is an out-of-touch and confusing game. The disdain towards politics has only been spurred by the mess of the current political scheme. Regardless of political standing, the past three years or so have been marked by extreme political turmoil.
We need to remember, though, that politics at its best is an exciting collection of leaders all working to further their personal goals while representing those that elected them. Get excited, because the 2020 presidential election is going to be just as, if not more, influential than the 2016 race.
The following is a list of some of the current 2020 Presidential Candidates. Given that there are sixteen Democratic candidates, alone, this is the list of the publicized candidates. I will provide links below that cover all of those who have announced their runnings.
Republicans
- Donald Trump: Trump is currently President of the United States. He announced that he would run for reelection on January 20, 2017. According to his website, Trump has enforced immigration laws, repealed the individual mandates of Obamacare, and has removed many economic restrictions during his term.
- You can visit his campaign site here: https://www.donaldjtrump.com/
- You can get a non-biased list of his views here: http://www.ontheissues.org/donald_trump.htm
- Bill Weld: Weld is a former Massachusetts governor, and he only recently announced his campaign. He is quoted as saying that the Trump administration is a “train wreck.” Weld is a proponent of rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement.
- Weld does not have a campaign website yet, but you can read an interview with him here: https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-new-yorker-interview/bill-weld-the-republican-planning-to-run-against-trump-in-2020
- His Facebook, which shows his 2020 bid, is here: https://www.facebook.com/GovBillWeld/
- You can get a non-biased list of his views here: http://www.ontheissues.org/bill_weld.htm
- Updated list of Republican candidates: https://ballotpedia.org/Presidential_candidates,_2020
Democrats
- Kamala Harris: Harris is currently a Senator from California. She is the child of two immigrant parents, in whom she takes great pride. She considers some of her biggest accomplishments as Senator to be getting tax cuts for the middle class, winning settlements against big corporations, and fighting to bring down California’s Proposition 8.
- You can visit her campaign site here: https://kamalaharris.org/meet-kamala/
- You can get a non-biased list of her views here: http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Kamala_Harris.htm
- Bernie Sanders: Sanders is currently a Senator from Vermont. He catapulted into the national conscience when he ran for the Democratic bid in 2016, which he lost to Hillary Clinton. His campaign is built upon taking on Donald Trump and the billionaire class. Sanders advocates, among other things, for a higher minimum wage and the decriminalization of marijuana.
- You can visit his campaign site here: https://berniesanders.com/
- You can get a non-biased list of his views here: http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/bernie_sanders.htm
- Amy Klobuchar: Klobuchar is currently a Senator from Minnesota. She has been noted as the most prominent candidate from the Midwest. Klobuchar is running on the platform of unifying the political system, which she believes has become divisive and ineffective.
- You can visit her campaign site here: https://amyklobuchar.com/
- You can get a non-biased list of her views here: http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Amy_Klobuchar.htm
- Elizabeth Warren: Warren is a Senator from Massachusetts. As a Senator, she has been on the Committees of Armed Services; Banking, Houses, and Urban Affairs; Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; and Aging. Some of her platforms include Ending Washington Corruption and Rebuilding the Middle Class.
- You can visit her campaign site here: https://elizabethwarren.com/
- You can get a non-biased list of her views here: http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/elizabeth_warren.htm
- Cory Booker: Booker is a Senator from New Jersey. He previously served as the Mayor of Newark. Booker is openly against the War on Drugs and is a self-identified feminist. He is calling for unity among Americans during what he believes is a time of political divide.
- You can visit his campaign site here: https://corybooker.com/
- You can get a non-biased list of his views here: http://www.ontheissues.org/Cory_Booker.htm
- John Hickenlooper: https://www.hickenlooper.com/
- Jay Inslee: https://www.jayinslee.com/
- Pete Buttigieg: https://www.peteforamerica.com/
- Kirsten Gillibrand: https://kirstengillibrand.com/
- Julian Castro: https://www.julianforthefuture.com/
- Tulsi Gabbard: https://www.tulsi2020.com/
- Marianne Williamson: https://www.marianne2020.com/
- Richard Ojeda: https://voteojeda.com/
- John Delaney: https://www.johndelaney.com/
- List of all Democratic candidates: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-democratic-candidates-for-president-2020-story.html
We truly have a diverse group of politicians, which is very exciting. Get to know them and better prepare yourself for the 2020 election!
Photo by David Everett Strickler on Unsplash