As we roll into the second month of 2019 already, it’s only smart to begin thinking about the fact that the 2020 election is somehow, already right around the corner! The Democrats will begin their debates and deliberations as early as this June, so naturally, bids and promises to run for President are coming out. Although it’s fun for us to think “I hope Oprah is president”, and while I think that Oprah and other notably peaceful and inspirational celebrities probably would make a good- or at least better- president, the reality is that we have dozens upon dozens of highly qualified politicians that are looking to win over the hearts of their parties, and America. So, who is running for President from the Democratic side in 2020? I’m going to go through most of those who have put in bids.
Julián Castro-
Julian Castro was one of the first to announce his bid. Castro is certainly one of the youngest to run for the office, but being young isn’t new to him! He became San Antonios youngest councilmen ever in 2001. This was only one year after he graduated from Law School. Castro has Latino roots, making him an exciting, diverse player. He stands for many things, such as Medicare for all. Additionally, Castro has spoken on the failure in the criminal justice system to fairly persecute those who are serving long sentences for minor drug charges, with most of these “criminals” being minorities.
Kamala Harris is another presidential hopeful. Harris, like Castro, is known for her passionate detestment of the treatment and sentencing of minor charges that serve the purpose of disenfranchising minorities. According to her website, “Kamala D. Harris is a lifelong public safety and civil rights leader. Elected in 2016, she is the second African American woman in history to be elected to the U.S. Senate, and the first African American and the first woman to serve as Attorney General of the state of California.” To say the least, Harris has broken barriers, overcome obstacles, and fought for others’ rights for years, prior to her bid. Harris also is in support of immigrant rights, women’s rights, and other various civil rights. Her experience in law and leadership is more than enough to show how qualified she is to run our country.
Elizabeth Warren
Unlike many of the other candidates and just many prominent political figures in general, Warren had a very humble and modest upbringing that gives her a unique and experienced outlook on the world. Whereas many candidates went from school, to university, to Law School, Warren first became a teacher! She’s been known to have a huge heart for kids and others and wants to continue to make a huge impact at an executive level. Warren did go on to be a law professor for many years, and now hopes to use her political experience to win the presidency.
Cory Booker
Yet another diverse presidential hopeful, Cory Booker is another extremely well educated, highly decorated political and law figure, who has a wonderful shot at the presidency. Booker, a New Jersey native has degrees from both Yale and Stanford. His big heart for others and the less fortunate has been apparent for years and years. In the ’90s, Booker started a “non-profit for low-income families”. Booker continued to be engaged in politics. He became the Mayor of Newark, New Jersey, and then went on, in 2013 to win a special election to become a New Jersey Senator! For clarification, because it was a special election- which means although it wasn’t an election year, one had to happen because an extenuating circumstance caused the need for a new Senator to be elected (The vacancy resulted from the death of five-term Democratic Senator Frank Lautenberg)- the term he had to serve was only one year, however, he did win the 2014 reelection, making him still one of the NJ senators.
In conclusion, although this isn’t all of the people who have put in a presidential bid, it’s clear to see that there are a lot of great options out there, and it’s exciting to see that we are going to have such a diverse group of people running for office. Although these are all Democratic nominees, and this seems biased, I think it’s our duty and responsibility to learn about every single candidate from every party to see the work they’ve done and what they stand for so you can make an informed decision!
I agree that it is really exciting that there is a diverse group of people running for 2020 office. I appreciated that you gave little bios about the different politicians, and they all seem to bring something positive and unique to the table.
Unfortunately, as soon as someone starts to run for office their past becomes exposed, and a lot of people focus on the negatives of candidates. For example, Kamala Harris’ background in criminal justice is criticized often. She is making statements to address the issues, but I think that all of the candidates will face similar issues in addressing their past.