By Jeremy Mauser || Staff Writer
A little over two years into Donald Trump’s time as President of the United States, several politicians and public figures-both Democrats and Republicans alike-are preparing to potentially take him on in the 2020 Presidential election.
The field of Democrats who are seeking the nation’s highest office is starting to become crowded with many contenders officially announcing their runs, launching exploratory committees, and expressing interest in participating in the race.
Already in the field is the most diverse array of Presidential candidates in United States history, as several women, two African American Senators, a Latino mayor, and a homosexual mayor vie to take Donald Trump on in the general election.
Just last Friday, February 1, Cory Booker officially announced that he is running for President. Booker, a U.S. Senator from New Jersey, received the verbal support of Former President Jimmy Carter following a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day event and will campaign around bringing a “revival of civil grace” into American politics.
One of the first Democrats to formally express interest was Elizabeth Warren, a Senator from Massachusetts. Once an academic who specialized in economics, the Senator released a video on New Year’s Day that informed the public of her exploratory committee. If she ultimately ends up running officially, Warren will focus on economic reform within the country.
Another high-profile candidate is Kamala Harris, a California Senator known for her work as a District Attorney and California’s Attorney General, as well as her viral statements from tweets and talk shows.
Harris announced her presidential run on “Good Morning America” on January 21, raising $1.5 million in her first 24 hours as a candidate.
Julian Castro, the mayor of San Antonio and Barack Obama’s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, also made his candidacy official in the past couple weeks. Castro delivered the keynote address at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, something that Obama also did prior to running for President.
More recently, Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, launched an exploratory committee. Thirty-seven years old and openly gay, Buttigieg promises to offer fresh ideas and would become the first openly gay U.S. Presidential nominee if he were to emerge victorious from the primaries.
Others who have either made their candidacies official or who have expressed serious interest in running are New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, former Maryland Congressman John Delaney, Washington Governor Jay Inslee, and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
While there are numerous politicians who have made their intentions of running for the nation’s highest office clear, there are even more who are on the fence.
One of the more prominent figures is former Vice President Joe Biden, who changed his mind about running in 2016 at the last minute and is now considering campaigning once again. However, a recent New York Times report that he gave a paid speech in 2018 that praised Michigan’s Republican Representative Fred Upton, who ultimately defeated a Democratic opponent in a tight race, is hurting his chances of winning in the eyes of many experts.
Biden is not the only staple Democratic figure who is contemplating a run, as Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has not denied his considerations for a second campaign for the position. He lost to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 primaries, but could run once again.
Other potential candidates include Sherrod Brown, a Senator from Ohio who is “very seriously” considering a campaign launch, John Kerry, the former U.S. Secretary of State, John Hickenlooper, a former governor of Colorado known for his bipartisanship, and Eric Garcetti, the mayor of Los Angeles.
However, Democrats are not the only ones who are not ruling out a run for the office. Jeff Flake, a former Republican Senator of Arizona, originally denied but later contemplated running against Donald Trump. Known for his criticisms of the current president, the conservative politician says that he needs a break, but does believe that someone should challenge Trump this election season.
John Kasich also refused to deny that he may be running for President. When asked if the Ohio governor would consider running to hinder Trump’s chances of winning again, Kasich replied, “I’m only interested in running if I can win. I’m not interested in running to damage somebody else.” He later clarified that he would not “rule out” running as a third-party candidate “if approached.”
As 2019 continues on, more politicians will announce their candidacies, and clearer frontrunners will begin to emerge. Until then, it is unclear who will challenge Donald Trump for the presidency in 2020.
Jeremy Mauser is a Staff Writer. His email is jmauser@fandm.edu