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 three years later, we've just about recovered from our collective shock—right in time for 2020 presidential race to come rolling 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. We're little more than a year away from D-Day, and we already have people dropping out of the race.
So, are you ready for the political showdown that will be 2019-2020? No, me neither, but let's take a look anyway?
Still In the 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." You can read more about his policy ideas throughout his career here.
Donald Trump (R)
Who?
The current POTUS.
How do I know him?
He’s probably the reason your therapy bills went up a couple years ago.
What are his key issues?
Trump has 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.
Dropped Out of the Running
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 happened?
In an all-staff conference call on April 8, Sanders announced he'd be dropping out of the race.
William Weld (R)
Who?
Former governor of Massachusetts from 1991 to 1997.
How do I know him?
You may (probably not) remember him from the 2016 presidential election; he was the Libertarian Party's nominee for Vice President, sharing the ticket with Gary Johnson.
What happened?
After Trump won resounding victories in swing states' primaries, Weld dropped out in March.
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 happened?
Gabbard was the last woman to remain in the race, and refused to quit for longer than anyone expected—but finally called it a day in March.
Elizabeth Warren (D)
Who?
The economic scholar and senior senator from Massachusetts, a.k.a. the only person Trump appeared 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.
What happened?
In a statement two days after Super Tuesday, Warren said: "I know that when we set out, this was not what you ever wanted to hear. It is not the call I ever wanted to make. But I refuse to let disappointment blind me—or you—to what we’ve accomplished. We didn’t reach our goal, but what we have done together—what you have done—has made a lasting difference. It’s not the scale of the difference we wanted to make, but it matters—and the changes will have ripples for years to come."
Who?
The billionaire former mayor of New York City and the man behind the financial and media behemoth.
How do I know him?
You probably remember his tenure as mayor of New York City, or the millions he's sunk into progressive causes, like climate change and gun control, in the years since
What happened?
.
After Super Tuesday, Bloomberg endorsed Biden and dropped out in one fell swoop. "I’ve always believed that defeating Donald Trump starts with uniting behind the candidate with the best shot to do it. After yesterday’s vote, it is clear that candidate is my friend and a great American, Joe Biden," he said.
Tom Steyer (D)
Who?
The California billionaire (yes, billionaire) who belatedly joined the race in July
How do I know him?
.
You probably don't, but the Democratic party definitely does. The businessman earned his wealth when he started his own hedge fund, Farallon Capital Management, in 1986, and by the time Steyer retired in 2012, the fund was reportedly overseeing somewhere around $20 billion in investments. Steyer has put his billions to serious use, influencing state and national politics by donating enormous sums of money to different Democrats over the years. In recent election cycles, he has been identified as one of the biggest disclosed political givers, if not the biggest.
What happened?
He'd fought hard to win the South Carolina primary, and dropped out when things went south. "Honestly, I can't see a path where I can win the presidency," he said.
Michael Bennet (D)
Who?
The Democratic senator of Colorado who's been serving the state since 2009.
How do I know him?
Remember the recent government shutdown that lasted for 35 whole days (the longest shutdown in US history)? You might recall that Senator Bennet gave a moving and impassioned speech advocating for the end of the shutdown.
What happened?
Bennet never really made inroads in the race, though he was one of the later candidates to drop out. In February, he tweeted: "I feel nothing but joy tonight as we conclude this campaign and this chapter."
Pete Buttigieg (D)
Who?
The mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who at 37 is just scraping the requirement to run for president (you have to be at least 35).
How do I know him?
Before his run, you probably didn't—he's deeply embedded in local politics through his time as mayor of South Bend (which has a population of 100,000), and this will be his first time on the national stage. He was elected at 29, making him one of the youngest mayors in history. He would be the first openly gay presidential nominee if he nabs the nomination.
What happened?
After a presidential run that was more successful than anyone imagined, Buttigieg gracefully bowed out after the South Carolina primary. "Sometimes the longest way around really is the shortest way home," he said.
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, since he doesn't have political experience, but his interesting platform got him noticed. 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.
What happened?
After the New Hampshire primary in February, he declared: "I am the math guy, and it is clear tonight from the numbers that we are not going to win this race."
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 happened?
"Today I am ending my campaign and endorsing Joe Biden for president,” Klobucher said in a speech early March. "He can bring our country together and build that coalition of our fired-up Democratic base as well as independents and moderate Republicans. We do not in our party want to just eke by a victory. We want to win big.”
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 happened?
In late January, three days before the Iowa caucuses, he said: "It's clear to me on Monday, on caucus night, I will not have sufficient support to get to the 15 percent viability threshold ... that is needed to get delegates out of Iowa."
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. He was in the final three to be the vice presidential pick for Clinton in 2016, but no dice.
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What happened?
In an email to his supporters on Jan.13, he mentioned one of the biggest reasons he was suspending his campaign for president was due to lack of funding. "Our campaign has reached the point where we need more money to scale up and continue building a campaign that can win — money we don't have, and money that is harder to raise because I won't be on the next debate stage and because the urgent business of impeachment will rightly be keeping me in Washington," he wrote.
Marianne Williamson (D)
Who?
She's often described as Oprah's spiritual guru, so, yeah. She's also a bestselling self-help author.
How do I know her?
You've probably seen at least one of her quotes on Pinterest and Instagram. Maybe this sounds familiar: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." Nope, not Buddha, but Marianne Williamson.
What happened?
A week after laying off almost all of her campaign staff, on Jan. 10, Williamson announced she was ending her campaign for president. "I stayed in the race to take advantage of every possible opportunity to share our message," she said in an email to supporters. "With caucuses and primaries now about to begin, however, we will not be able to garner enough votes in the election to elevate our conversation any more than it is now."
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 Clinton's VP slot in 2016.
What happened?
In a video message one day after the New Year, Castro said: “I’ve determined that it simply isn’t our time...Today it’s with a heavy heart, and profound gratitude, that I will suspend my campaign for president.”
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 happened?
Harris wrote in an essay that she would be unable to continue her campaign due to financial reasons. "I’m not a billionaire. I can’t fund my own campaign," she explained. "And as the campaign has gone on, it’s become harder and harder to raise the money we need to compete." She will resume her position as the senator of California.
Steve Bullock (D)
Who?
The current Democratic governor of Montana.
How do I know him?
Unless you live in Montana, you might not. Before becoming governor in 2012, Bullock served a single term as state attorney general. He previously worked as an attorney in the offices of the state attorney general and secretary of state.
Governor Bullock has already earned the support of a few notable Hollywood names, including actor Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski, True Grit) and Justin Bieber's manager Scooter Braun.
What happened?
In a statement to The New York Times, Bullock said, "While there were many obstacles we could not have anticipated when entering this race, it has become clear that in this moment, I won’t be able to break through to the top tier of this still-crowded field of candidates." During this exit out of the race, he also said he has no plans to run for senate in 2020 like most Democrats had hoped for.
Mark Sanford (R)
Who?
A former South Carolina governor who once represented the state’s 1st Congressional District in the House until early 2019.
How do I know him?
Think all the way back to 2009 when news broke of a governor going MIA after taking what his administration referred to as a "hiking trip" along the Appalachian Trail when he was actually visiting his lover in Argentina. Yeah...he's that guy.
What happened?
Mid-November he suspended his campaign due to all the "impeachment noise" coming from the Republican Party. "From day one, I was fully aware of how hard it would be to elevate these issues with a sitting president of my own party ignoring them," he said in statement according to CNN. "Impeachment noise has moved what was hard to herculean as nearly everything in Republican Party politics is currently viewed through the prism of impeachment."
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 happened?
At a Des Moines rally in November, Beto said: "We have to clearly see at this point that we do not now have the means [to continue]...Though this is the end of this campaign, we are right in the middle of this fight."
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 happened?
Messam pulled out in November, saying: "I knew the odds were a steep hill to climb, but I have always fought for what is right and will continue to break barriers never broken."
Bill de Blasio (D)
Who?
The current Democratic mayor of New York City. Mayor de Blasio is famous for his 2013 "Tale of Two Cities" campaign to unseat Michael Bloomberg, who had served three consecutive terms as mayor of New York City.
What happened?
"I feel like I've contributed all I can to this primary election and it's clearly not my time," Bill de Blasio said on Morning Joe. He'll return to his role as New York City mayor.
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, imploring him to resign after allegations of sexual assault and opposing his nominees for numerous administration positions.
What happened?
Gillibrand wasn't able to net the number of donors needed to make it into the third round of debates, and she pulled out shortly before the midnight August 28 deadline to qualify. She wrote on Twitter: "I am so proud of this team and all we've accomplished. But I think it’s important to know how you can best serve."
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. And more than any other candidate, Inslee was focused on climate change. (Even Bill Nye was featured in his campaign video.)
What happened?
In August of 2019, after playing a role in two of the first Democratic debates, Inslee announced he would be dropping out. "It's become clear that I'm not going to be carrying the ball. I'm not going to be the president, so I'm withdrawing tonight from the race." He would, he added, helped climate change be front and center of the 2020 race: "I've been fighting climate change for 25 years, and I've never been so confident of the ability of America now to reach critical mass to move the ball."
John Hickenlooper (D)
Who?
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 happened?
Hickenlooper swapped his White House bid for a Senate bid in August. "I've always said Washington was a lousy place for for a guy like me who wants to get things done but this is no time to walk away from the table," he said in his Senate campaign video.
Richard Ojeda (D)
Who?
Former West Virginia Senator and retired Army Major.
How 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. He announced in November that he would be running in opposition to Trump.
What happened?
Less than two months after announcing he'd be running for president, Ojeda abruptly left the race—becoming the first 2020 candidate to do so. His reason was simple: He didn't think he was going to win.
"The last thing I want to do is accept money from people who are struggling for a campaign that does not have the ability to compete," he said in a video announcement.
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