Numerous Dems ready to challenge Donald Trump
By: AMELIA COOPER
With voting becoming a revolving topic of discussion, especially with the controversies with the current president, knowing who the presidential candidates are is crucial to choose who to vote for in the primaries.
On top of the current president, according to Time, “there has been over 450 candidates that have registered with the Federal Election Commission to run for president in 2020.” But who are the bigger names that are running against the incumbent?
A few that are building attention for themselves are: Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Julian Castro, Howard Schultz and Rep. John Delaney.
On Feb. 19, Bernie Sanders officially entered the 2020 presidential race and within the first four hours he managed to raise over $1 million. Sanders had been previously beat by past U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton in 2016. Sanders has been a major advocate for the $15 federal minimum wage, universal healthcare and campaign finance reform.
Sen. Kamala Harris is currently a U.S. senator from California, and she announced that she was entering the race on Jan. 21 with the slogan, “Kamala Harris for the People” on Good Morning America. According to kamalaharris.org, she supports a real tax cut for the middle class and Medicare-for-All. According to CBS News, she raised about $1.5 million in the first 24 hours of her campaign.
Sen. Cory Booker announced his candidacy on Feb. 1 through a video on The View, multiple radio interviews and a press conference. Booker is a U.S. senator from New Jersey and, according to Time, he “continually sponsors bills that aim to alleviate poverty, expand affordable access to healthcare and raise the minimum wage.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren officially announced she was running for president on Feb. 9 at a rally in Massachusetts. Her main rationale is that she can help rebuild the middle class.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is currently a U.S. Representative from Hawaii’s 2nd District. She officially announced her candidacy on Feb. 2 at an event in Hawaii. Gabbard is currently for standing up against Big Pharma and is for Medicare-for-All.
One of the candidates that is not a representative or senator is Julian Castro. He was previously the Mayor of San Antonio and former President Barack Obama’s Housing and Urban Development Secretary. Castro officially came out with his candidacy on Jan. 12. He has opinions on immigration and is an outspoken anti-Trump advocate.
As we wait for the primaries and for the continuing amount of people announcing their candidacy, learning more on the current candidates can help voters learn what policies they agree with for each candidate. So read up, learn more and vote in the primaries.
