While the 2020 presidential election is still several years away, that hasn’t stopped Democrats from speculating about who may decide to run against President Donald Trump.
Democrats have a lot to consider before then—most notably, a 2018 midterm election that they hope will swing Congress in their favor. But every move people make, particularly bigger-name members of the party, is analyzed as a possible early sign they are considering taking on Trump.
However, things can change quickly for people thinking of a possible run. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) was thought to be a liberal rising star and prospective candidate to run against Trump in 2020, but he resigned from office following seven women coming forward with sexual misconduct allegations.
There is a long list of possibilities, so let’s take a look at some of the names that have been thrown around since Trump was inaugurated.
2020 presidential election: Potential Trump challengers
1) Sen. Bernie Sanders
It shouldn’t be a shock that Sen. Bernie Sanders’ name comes up in nearly every 2020 election talk. His surprising showing in the 2016 Democratic primary rocketed Sanders into the national consciousness, and he is arguably the most popular politician currently serving in office.
However, there are some drawbacks. While his impressive ability to lure younger voters to his campaign is something any person vying for the Democratic 2020 nod is sure to try to replicate, there will always be the question of whether his policy agenda would actually work without Congress firmly on his side. (Of course, there’s always that pesky S-word.)
Possible roadblocks for Sanders, an independent from Vermont, include the recent FBI investigation into his wife, Jane Sanders, over potential bank fraud. Depending on how the federal investigation into Trump goes, that could be hot cannon fodder for Trump—not to mention all of the other bruises he may have taken during the (sometimes contentious) 2016 primary fight against Hillary Clinton. However, there is no denying that if he decided to run, he’d have a large number of supporters and many people willing to donate to his campaign from the start.
2) Sen. Elizabeth Warren
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), like Sanders, would tap into the growing number of Democrats hoping for a more progressive candidate to challenge Trump’s hard-right support base.
Warren is also an outspoken critic of Trump, helping raise her profile among disenfranchised Democrats. She saw her profile skyrocket when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) silenced her as she was criticizing now-Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
3) Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York senator, took the seat that was vacated by Clinton in 2009 and has moved consistently left in her policy and voting record since taking office.
Like Warren, she has been a constant critic of Trump, even casting more “no” votes against Trump’s cabinet nominees than any other Democrat.
4) Former Vice President Joe Biden
Many Democrats were hoping Joe Biden would decide to run in 2016. But he decided not to, following the death of his son, Beau. Biden has not ruled out a 2020 bid and announced that a cross-country speaking tour to promote his soon-to-be-released book—sparking speculation of a 2020 run once more.
Biden would obviously have to tackle questions about decisions made by former President Barack Obama’s administration, but that hasn’t hurt his polling numbers. There are also questions about his conduct with women. However, many Democrats appear to have a very favorable view of the former vice president and Delaware senator.
5) Sen. Kamala Harris
Seen by many as a rising star in the Democratic Party, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) is the country’s first Indian-American and second female African-American senator. As a former state attorney general, Harris would likely match up well against Trump in a debate.
6) Sen. Cory Booker
The New Jersey senator has had star-power for many years, even during his time as mayor of Newark (where he carried a woman out of a house fire).
Sen. Cory Booker would likely appease more center-left Democrats and at least be palatable to more progressive voters. While Booker does have deep ties to Wall Street, he has also been a major critic of Trump and outspoken proponent of criminal justice reform.
Booker is also a talented public speaker and made a much-lauded speech during the 2016 Democratic National Convention. There were even rumors Clinton was considering him as a potential running mate in 2016 before she ultimately chose Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine.
7) New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo
Gov. Andrew Cuomo‘s recent push to beef up New York’s infrastructure and transportation—not to mention his recent decision to hire 12 staffers who worked for Obama’s White House, the federal government, or a presidential campaign—has put him firmly in the realm of 2020 speculation.
In his annual state-of-the-state address in 2017, Cuomo clearly positioned himself—and the state of New York—as anti-Trump, rejecting the ideas that got Trump elected. In his address, Cuomo touched on the middle class and how progressive policies “created the nation’s middle class in the first place.” He also proposed executive orders to reduce the wage gap for women in New York, as well as criminal justice reform.
8) Sen. Amy Klobuchar
While Sen. Amy Klobuchar doesn’t have the name recognition as some other lawmakers on this list, she certainly has a résumé that can compete. The Minnesota senator has served in Congress since 2007 and has high approval ratings.
Klobuchar is also from the Midwest, an area that Democrats arguably overlooked during the 2016 election and could have swayed the election in favor of Clinton.
9. Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey’s name has come up for years as a potential presidential candidate–and 2020 is no different.
Talks of an impending Oprah run heated up when, on Sept. 28, Winfrey tweeted out an article endorsing her for president, calling the former talk show host the Democrats’ “best hope” to challenge Trump. In the tweet, Winfrey thanked the writer for a “vote of confidence.”
In fact, Trump’s election may have sparked some more interest in Winfrey. Speaking with Bloomberg News, Winfrey said with Trump’s win, she may have overestimated what it takes to become president.
“I thought, ‘Oh, gee, I don’t have the experience, I don’t know enough.’ And now I’m thinking, ‘Oh,’” she said.
The whole idea of an Oprah vs. Trump election gets weirder when you consider that Trump considered having her as a running mate when he toyed with the idea of running for president under the reform party in 2000.
10) Mark Cuban
Dallas Mavericks owner and television star Mark Cuban said in early fall that he is “considering” running for president.
Speaking on the Viewpoint podcast hosted by former South Carolina state Sen. Bakari Sellers, Cuban said he wasn’t ready to commit to running in the future, but said he was considering it.
Like Trump, Cuban is a billionaire businessman who is not afraid to speak his mind. In fact, the two of them have had some feuds in the past.
11) Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley
You may have forgotten Martin O’Malley, given how crazy the 2016 election and primaries were. But O’Malley did compete against Sanders and Clinton during the Democratic presidential primaries.
O’Malley didn’t score very well in any of the primaries, finishing a distant third in Iowa before suspending his campaign.
But perhaps he’ll take another crack at the presidency in what is expected to be a wide-open Democratic field ahead of 2020. As FiveThirtyEight points out, O’Malley spent more time in Iowa between 2013 and 2016 than Clinton or Sanders and has visited early voting states like Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina in recent months.
12. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper
Gov. John Hickenlooper is in his second term as governor of Colorado and has become popular in the state that is seen as “purple,” or a mix of Republicans and Democrats.
The governor was reportedly considered by Clinton to be her vice presidential nominee before she ultimately chose Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.).
Hickenlooper ruffled a few feathers earlier this year when reports surfaced that he and Republican John Kasich–a frequent critic of Trump–had explored running on an independent ticket during the 2020 election with Kasich leading the team.
13) Rep. John Delaney
Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.) is the only candidate to officially announce their candidacy for 2020.
The congressman announced way back in July that he would be seeking the Democratic nomination, telling Business Insider that he thinks voters will be “open-minded and wants to do what’s best for their party and most importantly their country.”
Delaney is known as moderate and supported a measure to raise money to build infrastructure by allowing corporations in the United States to avoid taxes on overseas profits if they purchase bonds to be used for infrastructure, the AP reports.
14. Rep. Tim Ryan
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) is relatively unknown, but raised his profile earlier this year when he challenged House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) to lead the Democrats following Trump’s surprise election victory.
Ryan’s name has been subject to rumors of a possible 2020 bid for months, and when asked in September by Hardball host Chris Matthews about possibly running for president he responded with “I don’t know.”
Around the same time, Ryan spoke in Iowa and urged Democrats to focus on an economic message in future elections that starts “with letting these working-class people know that we see them, we hear them and we know what they are going through, and we have a plan.”
Source – Dailydot.com
