By Mike Norris, The American Dossier January 15, 2019
With less than 400 days until the Iowa Caucuses, attention has turned to the 2020 Presidential Election.
The Thanksgiving holiday marks the beginning of campaign season for those considering a run for President and this year was no different. The holiday season ended with a number of top-tier Democrats announcing their runs, while no Republican has emerged as a challenger to President Trump.
As of publishing, 140 individuals have filed to run for President as a Democrat. DNC Chair, Tom Perez, has previously stated that he expects the 2020 primary field to rival the size of the 2016 Republican primary, which consisted of 17 major candidates.
This would be a significant increase for the Democrats, who only fielded a handful of candidates in the 2016 Presidential Election.
In response to criticism over the handling of the 2016 Primary, the DNC has planned a minimum of 12 televised debates; with the first six taking place in 2019. In a shift from tradition, none of the debates are scheduled for the early-primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina or Nevada, until 2020.
Given the likely size of the field, any top-tier candidate will soon have to decide if they are going to run or take a pass.
Republicans
Donald Trump (incumbent)
Age: 72
Just hours after being inaugurated in 2016, President Trump filed the paperwork to run for re-election in 2020. As of publishing, he has raised over $60 million; giving him a head start over any potential challenger.
No Republican has yet announced an intention to run against President Trump. In October, Republican Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, stated that he believes it would be a "waste of time" for any to make an attempt.
Possibly Running: Senator Bob Corker (TN); Senator Jeff Flake (AZ); Governor John Kasich (OH)
Democrats
With no clear front runner, as many as 32 Democrats have been mentioned as possible candidates.
Several notable Democrats, including Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Steyer, former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and attorney Michael Avenatti, have publicly stated that they will not be running in 2020.
Senator Elizabeth Warren (MA)
Age: 69
Prior to being elected to the U.S. Senate, Senator Warren taught law at Harvard University. When she was hired in the early 1990s, there were only 60 tenured female professors. According to Harvard, Senator Warren has written more than 100 educational articles and ten books.
The first top-tier Democrat candidate to file, Senator Warren launched a presidential exploratory committee on the last day of 2018. The Senator has already traveled to Iowa and New Hampshire, where her campaign events have been well attended.
Julian Castro
Age: 44
The grandson of a Mexican immigrant, Julian Castro is a graduate of both Stanford and Harvard Law. At 26 years old, he was San Antonio's youngest-ever city councilman in 2001; later serving as Mayor from 2009 to 2014.
In 2012, Castro delivered the Democratic National Convention keynote speech, a performance that lead political pundits to grant him the nickname: "Latino Barack Obama."
From 2014 – 2017, Castro served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Obama. He was the youngest member of Obama’s cabinet.
Castro was under consideration to be Hillary Clinton's running mate, but ultimately lost to Virginia Senator Tim Kaine.
Castro’s brother, Joaquin, is a congressman representing Texas’ 20th District.
The second top-tier candidate to enter the 2020 race, Castro announced his candidacy in San Antonio on January 12th.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-2)
Age: 37
An Iraq war veteran, Representative Gabbard served two tours in the Middle East. She is also the first member of Congress born in American Samoa and the first Hindu member of Congress.
Gabbard first made news during the 2016 presidential campaign, when she endorsed Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton. Gabbard has been in the news again recently over her former work for her father’s anti-gay organization, the “Alliance for Traditional Marriage”. The group promoted conversion therapy and described homosexuality as “unhealthy, abnormal behavior that should not be promoted or accepted in society.”
Gabbard was the third top-tier candidate to announce her candidacy and has visited New Hampshire and Iowa. She has written a memoir that is due to be published in May 2019.
Also Running: Rep. John Delaney (MD-6); Richard Ojeda (Former WV State Senator).
Possibly Running: Vice President Joe Biden; Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT); Sen. Cory Booker (NJ); Sen. Sherrod Brown (OH); Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY); Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN); Sen. Kamala Harris (CA); Rep. Beto O’Rourke (TX); Rep. Tim Ryan (OH); Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA); Gov. John Hickenlooper (CO); Gov. Jay Inslee (WA); Mayor Michael Bloomberg (NYC); and Mayor Andrew Gillum (TLH).