Though it is likely that not everyone has announced their bid, six Democrats have so far.
Because the majority of the Republican party refers to Donald Trump as the Republican nominee, this article will only cover Democratic candidates.
Elizabeth Warren – Warren rose to celebrity in her duel of wills with President Trump over her contested Native American ancestry. Hailing from Oklahoma City, this candidate currently serves as a Massachusetts senator. A populist through and through, Senator Warren’s policy espouses a level playing field, which includes increasing taxation for the “elite” or those making more than $1 million a year. She supported the “Occupy Wall Street” movement and has claimed to have created the “intellectual foundation” for that movement. The banking system, according to Senator Warren, is flawed and skewed in the favor of the corporate and the elite, and must have new consumer protections built in. She has expressed the belief that medical marijuana can help stymie the opioid epidemic.
Julián Castro – Once the youngest member of President Obama’s cabinet, Julián Castro also served as the mayor of his hometown San Antonio. The Democrat candidate holds beliefs fairly typical of his party, with policies including universal healthcare, more stringent gun control policies and immigration reform with “a path to citizenship.” Castro has demonstrated his civil rights views in his support of same sex marriage in Texas. Castro does not espouse any radical policy change and seems to follow in the footsteps of former President Obama policy-wise.
Tulsi Gabbard – A member of the House of Representatives for Hawaii, Tulsi Gabbard was one of the first to announce a 2020 candidacy. She is the first Samoan-American and first Hindu member of Congress. She served in the combat zone with a field medical unit in Iraq from 2004 to 2005. Much like the rest of the Democratic Party, Representative Gabbard is pro-choice and is in support of same-sex marriage. Rep. Gabbard has expressed support for federal stimulus spending, tax incentives for green initiatives and job creation, raising minimum wage and reducing defense spending. She has particularly expressed a desire to reform the Patriot Act. Rep. Gabbard also calls for an increased income tax. Rep. Gabbard has displayed a willingness for bipartisanship and provides a unique option during the 2020 election.
John Delaney – John Delaney is an incumbent Representative for Maryland who has recently stated that he would only provide bipartisan proposals for the first 100 days of his presidency. He announced that he was seeking nomination in 2017, making him the first Democrat to do so. Rep. Delaney’s policy is much like Rep. Gabbard’s, expressing support for federal stimulus spending, tax incentives for green initiatives, raising federal minimum wage and reducing defense spending. He also supported the DREAM Act in favor of widening the path to citizenship for immigrants. Delaney has advocated for increased income taxes, gun control and eliminating photo IDs for voting. Rep. John Delaney stands as another Democrat nominee that holds traditional party views.
Andrew Yang – Andrew Yang is an entrepreneur who founded the non-profit organization Venture for America. The native New Yorker’s big ticket billing is his desire to implement a universal basic income, a $1,000 a month stipend for any citizen over 18 years old. Yang, outside this single facet of his campaign, has an extensive web platform, formatted to give the visitor easy access to his policies, unlike any other candidate so far. His outlined views range from making Puerto Rico a state to mandating that the NCAA pay its athletes. His platform stands on the ideas of “human-centered” and “for all.” “Healthcare for All” and “Early Childhood Education for All” are just a sampling of his ideas. Yang provides an incredibly thorough explanation of his platform with diverse options for unconventional Democrats.
Richard Ojeda – Richard Ojeda is a former West Virginia senator who served in the U.S. Army for 24 years. Former Sen. Ojeda has formatted his campaign into “missions.” The first one he has named “Service Requires Sacrifice,” a progressive policy which demands that any federal politician must “sacrifice any net worth over a million dollars to a charity of their choice.” Similar to Sen. Warren, Ojeda believes that the common citizen is overlooked in the national decision-making process, making him another prime populist candidate.
