A rundown of the 25 Democratic presidential candidates
On June 26 and 27, the first presidential debate will air from 8 to 10 p.m. on NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo. This will mark the beginning of the race for the 2020 presidency. Currently, 25 Democrats and two Republicans, Donald Trump and William Weld, are in the running for POTUS. Among the Democrats, six are women, one is gay and seven are people of color. Perhaps this abnormal number of candidates is due to the Democratic party’s desperate effort to overthrow the Trump presidency, in hopes that at least one of the candidates has policies both parties can agree on. Or perhaps the number of candidates is due, instead, to the delusion under president Trump that anyone can be a president. For Pete’s sake, even Oprah’s religious advisor is running (Marianne Williamson.) Nonetheless, when deciding on the leader of the country, it’s important for citizens to be informed of what a candidate really supports — not just the image they display to the public.
To qualify for the debates, candidates had to either get 65,000 donors with at least 200 donors in 20 different states, or have 1 percent in three polls recognized by the committee. Of the 25 Democrats running, 20 qualified for the debates. Below, is a list of all 25 of the Democratic candidates, their background and their stances on the issues they plan to prioritize if elected. For more information on their policies, check out each candidate’s website, which is located at the bottom of each list.
Michael Bennet
Bennet is a senator from Colorado. His main focus is driving economic opportunity and restoring American values and politics.
Education: Wants to further the No Student Left Behind Act, which gives financial assistance to the education of poor children.
Climate change: Wants regulations placed on the climate. He will achieve this by investing in zero-emissions energy and rural communities.
Gun control: Supports restrictions
Immigration: Wants protection for immigrants
Joe Biden
Biden was the vice president in the Obama administration. His campaign focuses on rebuilding the middle class and protecting equal rights. He is known for being bi-partisan, meaning he will work with Republicans when making new policies.
Immigration: Believes that the immigration system needs revision and wants to welcome immigrants
Gun control: Wants to enact gun-control laws
Health care: Reinstate the Affordable Care Act
Economy: Rebuild the middle class and make sure everyone — “regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or disability” — has an equal opportunity for success.
Cory Booker
Booker has served as a city councilman, mayor and U.S. Senator for New Jersey. He focuses primarily on criminal justice reform, equality and the economy. Booker’s style of speech has been likened to that of former President Barack Obama’s.
Immigration: In the Senate, Booker helped pass the Keep Families Together Act.
Equal rights: Proudly proclaimed feminist and supporter of passing the Equal Rights Amendment. While on the senate, he co-sponsored the Equality Act, which prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation and gender identity.
Gun control: Supports making assault weapons illegal
Education: Supports charter schools and raising teacher pay
Economy: Wants to pass the American Opportunity Accounts Act which would lessen the wealth gap in America between the rich and the poor by creating a seed savings account for every American when they are born.
Steve Bullock
Bullock is the current governor of Montana who aims to unite the Republican and Democratic parties and provide more economic opportunities. While governor of Montana, he expanded Medicaid. Bullock did not qualify for the debates.
Education: Increase funding for all levels of education
Gun control: supports a ban on assault weapons
Abortion: Wants to protect DREAMers
Pete Buttigieg
Buttigieg is the mayor of South Bend, Indiana. He is the first openly-gay person to run for president. His main focus is on the climate change crisis and supporting equal rights. He also aims to counteract gerrymandering and replace the electoral college with the popular vote.
Immigration: Wants to revise current immigration system practices
Equality: Enact the Paycheck Fairness Act
Gun control: Raise the standards of gun ownership
Veterans: Wants to invest in veteran health care and education
Education: Debt-free college and raise teacher pay
Climate change: Implement the Green New Deal by using a carbon tax and investment in clean energy
LGBTQ+ rights: Pass the Equality Act and reverse the ban on transgender people in the military
Economy: Raise minimum wage to $15 and provide affordable housing
Julián Castro
Castro was the Secretary of Housing and Development in the Obama administration. He also served as mayor for San Antonio, Tx where he established a city-wide Pre-K system. His campaign focuses on education and immigration.
Immigration: Was the first candidate to release a comprehensive immigration plan. He wants to welcome immigrants and secure the border with technology.
Gun control: More restrictions and a ban on all assault weapons
Education: Universal Pre-K program, less student debt and no tuition for public college
Climate change: Recommit to the Paris Climate Accords
https://www.julianforthefuture.com
Bill De Blasio
De Blasio is the current mayor of New York City. During his administration, he provided Pre-K to all of NYC children. His wife, Chirlane McCray, is very active in health reform. His main focus is on the immigration crisis and establishing a universal Pre-K system.
Immigration: Create greater outreach and assistance systems for immigrants
Gun control: pass laws that ensure gun safety
Education: Create a universal Pre-K system
Climate change: transition to a low-carbon economy
John Delaney
Delaney is a former United States Representative for Maryland and businessman. Due to his background in business, his campaign focuses on boosting economic opportunities and education.
Gun control: Restrict gun purchases
Veterans: Enhance job and education opportunities
Education: Mandatory Pre-K through 14 years of education
Health care: Has criticized the “Medicare For All” plan. Instead, he wants an alternative universal health care plan
Economy: Invest in rural America by creating a “Heartland Fair Deal”
Tulsi Gabbard
Gabbard served on the Hawaii National Guard, the Hawaii state legislature and served as a U.S. Senate Aid. She focuses primarily on honoring veterans and preserving Hawaii’s natural environment.
Immigration: Protect immigrant rights
Gun control: Ban on assault weapons
Education: Provide free college to all Americans and fund Hawaii schools
Health care: Protect medicare and social security
Climate change: Switch fossil fuels for sustainable energy
Kirsten Gillibrand
Gillibrand is a U.S. senator for New York and a former member of the House of Representatives. Her campaign centers around reinstating moral values, women and family rights and creating a national paid leave. She has an “F” rating from the NRA, and “she’s proud of it.”
Abortion: Pro-choice, take away gag rule
Immigration: Create a pathway to citizenship and reform the current immigration system
Gun control: Run universal background checks and ban assault weapons
Education: Universal Pre-K, raise teacher pay, fix student debt-repayment process
Climate change: Invest in sustainable energy and implement a tax on carbon
Economy: Raise the minimum wage to $15 and provide tax relief for middle class and low-income families
Mike Gravel
Gravel is a former Alaska Senator. He did not qualify for the debates. His focus is on civil rights and immigration. He also wants to abolish the electoral college.
Immigration: Open the borders to all
Education: Universal Pre-K, student-debt forgiveness
Climate change: Implement a tax on carbon
https://www.mikegravel.org
Kamala Harris
Harris is a former U.S. senator and attorney general of California. She focuses on ensuring equal rights for women and people of color and preventing human trafficking. Her parents were very active in the civil rights movement of the ’60s and she worked on both the Kavanaugh case and the Mueller Report.
Abortion: Wants to provide public funding for abortions
Gun control: Mandate background checks for dealers
Education: Tuition-free higher education
Economy: Raise the minimum wage to $15, provide tax cuts for the middle class
John Hickenlooper
Hickenlooper is the former mayor of Denver, CO. He focuses on the environment and education. While mayor of Denver, he expanded Pre-K to all 4-yo’s in Denver and created the Denver Scholarship Program.
Gun control: Passed landmark gun-safety legislation, supports the second amendment
Education: Create a universal Pre-K system, increase investment in education
Climate change: Has his own “reasonable” alternative plan to the Green New Deal
Economy: Rebuild the federal reserve
Jay Inslee
Inslee is the current governor of Washington and a former member of the State House of Representatives. His main goal as president would be to combat the issue of climate change.
Immigration: Give scholarships to DREAMers
Gun control: Pass common-sense gun laws
Education: Raise teacher pay and fund public schools
Climate change: Plans to have 100% clean energy by 2035
Economy: Build a clean energy economy to provide jobs
Amy Klobuchar
Klobuchar is a U.S. Senator from Minnesota and a former attorney. Her campaign is centered around regulating the cost of prescription drugs and addressing the opioid crisis.
Immigration: Stop the cruel treatment of immigrants and create a pathway to citizenship
Gun control: Ban assault weapons and increase background checks
Education: Increase teacher pay and fund public schools
Health care: Make prescription drugs and health care accessible
Climate change: clean power rules and gas mileage standards
Wayne Messam
Messam is a former owner of a construction company and is currently the mayor of Florida. Many news sources have questioned his ability to handle the US economy due to his past economic issues with his construction company. He was not able to raise enough money to qualify for the Democratic debates, however, he is still in the running for the presidency. His campaign focuses on the creation of a student-debt repayment system and immigration.
Immigration: Preserve a pathway to citizenship
Education: Wants a student debt cancellation plan
Climate change: Rejoin the Paris Climate Accords
Economy: Give tax cuts to the middle class and businesses
Seth Moulton
Moulton is a current U.S. Representative for Massachusetts and a former Marine Corps officer. He focuses on aiding U.S. soldiers and veterans and creating new voting rights. He wants to launch a national recruitment for the armed forces. Moulton did not qualify for the debates.
Immigration: Opposes the deportation of illegals, wants to stop future illegal immigration
Gun control: Universal background checks, ban assault weapons
Education: Integrate schools, raise teacher pay
Health care: Option of personal or public health care
LGBTQ+ rights: Very supportive, wants to change the discharge status of LGBTQ+ veterans from dishonorable to honorable
Economy: tax system that benefits the middle class
Beto O’Rourke
O’Rourke was in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Texas. He became well known after his run against Ted Cruz for US senate which he lost by a margin of 2.6 percent. O’Rourke promotes the issues of climate change, equal rights and immigration in his campaign.
Immigration: Stop deportation and welcome immigrants
Gun control: Limit guns to maximize safety
Education: Universal Pre-K
Health care: Universal, quality health care
Climate change: Supports the Green New Deal, has a plan to combat climate change
Tim Ryan
Ryan is a U.S. Representative for Ohio. He focuses on education, health care and finding an economy that works for everyone. Some of his past views leaned more conservative, but he has since tried to align with Democratic stances.
Abortion: Originally pro-life, now pro-choice
Immigration: Restrictive, pro-border
Gun control: Rated “A” by the NRA on protecting gun rights
Education: Provide funding and support to public schools
Climate change: Carbon-free environment, rejoin Paris Climate Accords
Bernie Sanders
The U.S. senator from Vermont has been a popular icon on social media. But, besides being a democratic socialist, not many people know what he actually supports. Sanders prioritizes reversing economic inequality through an “Economic Bill of Rights”.
Immigration: Humane border security, protect immigrant rights
Gun control: Ban sale/distribution of assault weapons
Veterans: Expand the VA Caregivers Program, provide mental-health aid
Education: Make public schools free for all, cancel debt-repayment process
Health care: Health care for all, lower cost of prescriptions
Economy: Revitalize rural economies
Eric Swalwell
Swalwell is a current U.S. Representative for California. His main focus is on reforming gun policy and safety.
Immigration: Supported the DREAM act
Gun control: Mandatory national ban and buyback of all assault weapons
Veterans: Access to quality and timely medical care
Education: Debt-free college
Elizabeth Warren
Warren is a U.S. senator from Massachusetts. She focuses on rebuilding the middle class and putting an end to government corruption. She also wants to replace the electoral college with a popular vote.
Abortion: Supports public abortion funding
Gun control: Strongly supports restricting the Second Amendment
Education: Cancel student debt and eliminate tuition
Economy: Implement an ultra-millionaire tax on the 75,000 richest families
Marianne Williamson
Williamson is a self-help author and the spiritual advisor to Oprah Winfrey. While she has no formal political experience, her website provides a detailed plan for popularly-debated issues in the US. The question isn’t if she has a plan, but rather if she is prepared to execute the plan.
Immigration: End family separation
Gun control: Eliminate the sale of assault and semi-automatic weapons
Education: Universal Pre-K, reform education model, free higher education
Health care: Re-enact the Clean Water Act, universal health care
Climate change: Re-enter the Paris Climate Accords
LGBTQ+ rights: End discrimination in health care, employment, etc.
Economy: Implement an adjusted living wage which provides a livable wage based on each unique geographical environment
Andrew Yang
Yang is a businessman who wants to create a universal basic income, Medicare For All and human-centered capitalism. He also wants to protect the press as regulators of the government and have mandatory mental-health check-ups for all White House staff.
Gun control: Background checks, safety guidelines for manufacturers
Education: Make college cheaper, universal Pre-K
Climate change: Tax on emissions, reverse damage with geoengineering technology
LGBTQ+ rights: Establish anti-discriminatory laws, appoint LGBTQ+ officials to senior positions
Economy: Create a universal basic income
