Even though 2019 has just begun, a few high profile Democrats have already started stepping forward to announce that they’re running for president. From businessmen to senators, below is the list of all the Democrats running in 2020.

Massachusetts senator and former Harvard Law School professor, Elizabeth Warren, is not a surprising candidate, she has continuously been vocal about her beliefs and was considered to run in 2016 but she did not seek a nomination. She had served on the Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the Troubled Asset Relief Program from 2008 to 2010 and  was instrumental in the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in 2010. Warren made her announcement to run for president on New Year’s Eve. A highly critical opponent of Wall Street, big corporations, and the current Commander in Chief, have made her extremely popular amongst the progressive left (The Guardian).

John Delaney, a former Maryland congressman, announced his candidacy in 2017. That’s three years before the Democratic convention (The New York Times). He announced that rather than seeking reelection to the House of Representatives in 2018 he would be running for president in 2020. Delaney seems to be appealing to independents and moderate Republicans due to his banking background (The Guardian).  Before his political career, Delaney founded two New York Stock Exchange companies and a nonprofit organization focused on the creation of jobs in Maryland’s private sector, Blueprint Maryland (Ballotpedia).

Andrew Yang, one of a few Democratic candidates without a political background, is former tech executive and entrepreneur. His main plan revolves around providing every adult in America a salary of $1,000 per month paid for by a tax on companies that benefit the most from automation.

Another candidate running without a background in politics is former housing and urban development secretary, Julián Castro, who has branded himself as an “antidote for Trump.” The son of a Mexican immigrant and raised by single mother, Castro rose to popularity after delivering a keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2012.

Marianne Williamson may be an author, but this is not the first time she’s been tangled in politics. In 2014, she ran as an Independent to represent the 33rd Congressional District of California . Some may say her candidacy could attract more celebrities to be involved in politics. Williamson’s campaign seems to focus on the improvement of our education system, women’s reproductive rights, pro-LGBTQ, and concerned about our democracy “being at risk” (Ballotpedia).

Next is Tulsi Gabbard, who is a congresswoman from Hawaii and the first Samoan-American and the Hindu elected to Congress. As a Iraq war veteran, she plans to focus her campaign around issues regarding “war and peace.” However due to her past conservative views on social issues, most democrats seem to be wary of her.

Kirsten Gillibrand is a senator for New York and former corporate lawyer who spent her time fighting to end sexual assault in the military and on college campuses long before the #MeToo movement. Gillibrand is known for her progressive economic ideas that are heavily supported by her party (The Guardian).

California senator, former state attorney general, and one of Trump’s most brutal critics, Kamala Harris, also plans on running in 2020. Harris, a more popular candidate is narrowly polling ahead of every other declared Democratic presidential candidate (The Washington Post).

South Bend, Indiana mayor, Pete Buttigieg, would be one of the youngest presidents elected at 37 years old and would be not only the first millennial as president, but also the first openly gay one. However he seems to be accepting huge responsibilities at a young age. At only 29 the Harvard graduate and Rhodes scholar became the youngest mayor of a mid-size US city when he was elected in 2011. Buttigieg definitely has an impressive resume being a lieutenant in the Navy Reserve and deployed to Afghanistan while serving as mayor.

Cory Booker is the senator of New Jersey. Booker first started his career as “the hands-on mayor of Newark.” He gained this title after rescuing women from fires and dogs from the freezing cold. Booker is mostly known for focusing on criminal justice reform and immigration. However he’s become controversial and heavily criticized for his ties to Wall Street.

Minnesota senator, Amy Klobuchar. Many say that “her success with rural voters makes her a formidable candidate in the Rust Belt while her calm demeanor provides a clear contrast with Trump” (The Guardian).

Recently Vermont Senator and 2016 Democratic Presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, announced via social media that he would be running again in 2020. In 2016 it had seemed that Sanders might get the democratic nominee but he was beaten by Hillary Clinton. His political careers spans almost four decades and has consistently been extremely progressive and liberal regarding all social issues, even back when his views were considered radical and unacceptable. Sanders definitely appeals to today’s extremely progressive youth with his views on health care, climate change, immigration, etc (Ballotpedia). Kale Gonzalez (12) is “super glad that Bernie is running again! [He] loves most all of his policies, especially his focus on supporting the American worker and middle class. [He] sees Sanders as a step in the right direction to more equality for all US citizens. His long time support of civil/social rights and other issues such as prison reform, education, and climate change, make him a great candidate.”

Currently these are all the candidates that have formally announced they are running but there are still plenty of Democrats that have insinuated that they might, such as:

• Michael Bloomberg: Businessman
• Joe Biden: Former Vice President
• Sherrod Brown: Ohio senator
• Eric Swalwell: California congressman
• Jeff Merkley: Oregon senator
• Tim Ryan: Ohio congressman
• John Hickenlooper: Governor of Colorado
• Jay Inslee: Governor of Washington
• Terry McAuliffe: Former governor of Virginia
• Steve Bullock: Governor of Montana
• Beto O’Rourke: Former Texas congressman
• Eric Holder: Former attorney general
• Stacey Abrams: Former Georgia state congresswoman
• Mitch Landrieu: Former New Orleans mayor
• Andrew Gillum: Former Tallahassee mayor
• Bill de Blasio: New York mayor
  

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  Cory Booker