It’s that time again — the fight that occurs every four years. That fight being for the highest office in the United States: the office of the presidency. 45 men have held this position as the result of 58 separate presidential elections. At this time, the American people must ask themselves, “Should we keep our current president, or is it time to elect a new one?” As of right now, President Donald Trump is campaigning to keep his position in the highest office of the United States. According to ballotpedia.org, President Trump is the only Republican at this time who has filed to run in 2020.
Democrats have been gearing up for a heated campaign trail. So far, multiple well-known Democratic politicians have filed for candidacy to run for president, according to ballotpedia.org. Some of the current candidates are Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey, Senator Kamala Harris from California, Senator Kristen Gillibrand from New York, and Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts. Also, on the Democratic ticket are various congressional, state and local representatives. On the independent side, former CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, has filed with the Federal Elections Commission to run for president. In a speech, he claimed to be running as an independent centrist, according to Fox News.
There also happens to be many Democrats who are rumored to make a presidential run but have not declared so. Former Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton has tossed the idea of running for president a third time but has not made it official. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Former Vice President Joe Biden are seen by many Democrats across the country as potential candidates, but neither has commented whether or not he will run for president. Former Texas Congressman and candidate for U.S. Senate, Beto O’Rourke, is another person Democrats across the country see as a possible presidential candidate. However, he has not mentioned anything hinting at him running for President.
In regard to party platform, the Democrats are advocates for Medicare for All, immigration and defeating President Trump, according to the New York Times. There is also the question of which candidates would shift further to the left of the political spectrum, and which ones would try to be more moderate to appeal to a larger voter base. According to the New York Times, the answer to this question depends on what each candidate believes is the best approach to defeating President Trump and, at the same time, reaching a larger voter base.
Another factor to consider in the 2020 race is the energizing of voters on the left during the 2018 midterm elections. The takeaway from the 2018 midterm elections was that many American voters embrace leftist ideas, including Medicare for All, and are unsatisfied with President Trump since Republicans lost the House of Representatives. However, Republicans were able to keep the Senate. Many Americans wonder if this is a sign that Republicans are unhappy with President Trump. It is uncertain whether this is true since the political party that holds the Executive Branch often loses congressional seats and/or chambers of Congress.
Another question that comes up is if the energized feeling that voters on the left felt in the midterm elections will carry on in 2020. This is also uncertain, but recent events, such as the partial government shutdown, could change this. Events that have yet to happen could also change this. Even though incumbents have a great chance of keeping their political power, the 2020 election results are still uncertain at this time, given the current political climate.