Meet each major presidential candidate

Grahm Staib, Writer

The 2020 election will determine the direction our country decides to go in the next 4 years. The Democratic primaries have proven to show a very diverse field. There is also a republican, who has decided to challenge Incumbent President Donald Trump in the republican primary. Now, here’s a breakdown of all the major candidates in the race.

Democrats

  • Former Vice President Joe Biden

Joe Biden has had a storied political career; he served 36 years as a senator for the state of Delaware, and is more commonly known as the 47th Vice President under President Barack Obama. Biden’s vision for America includes rebuilding the middle class, demonstrating respected leadership on the world stage, and making sure the American democracy includes everybody. 

  • Senator Elizabeth Warren

Elizabeth Warren has had an unorthodox path to politics. Beginning as a teacher, Warren went on to become politically active after her law career when she spearheaded the foundation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Warren then went on to defeat a republican incumbent, and become a senator for the state of Massachusetts. Some of Warren’s main policies include universal healthcare, implementing a wealth tax, universal child care, and student debt elimination.

  • Senator Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders has had both executive and legislative experience in his almost 40 year political career. He began as the mayor of Burlington, VT. He then served in the house of representatives for 16 years, and eventually became a senator for Vermont in 2007. Sanders is a self-described “democratic socialist,” and his key policies include universal healthcare, tuition-free college for all, a green new deal, increasing the minimum wage to $15, and ensuring affordable housing.

  • Former NYC Mayor/Businessmen Mike Bloomberg

Michael Bloomberg has had a similar path to incumbent President Donald Trump. Bloomberg began his career as a businessman and joined politics after he accumulated his wealth. Bloomberg served as the mayor of New York City from 2002-2013 as a republican and independent, before eventually becoming a democrat after the election of Donald Trump. Michael has devoted himself to defeating Donald Trump by showing his past advocating for gun reform and climate change during his run as the Mayor of New York City, and focusing his campaign in key swing states.

  • Senator Amy Klobuchar

Amy Klobuchar has let it be known on the debate stage that she hasn’t lost a political race since 4th grade. She has branded herself as a midwest moderate, beginning as a county attorney and eventually becoming one of Minnesota’s senators, an office she has held since 2007. Klobuchar is running on a platform of expanding medicare and medicaid, shared economic prosperity, and securing democracy.

  • Representative Tulsi Gabbard

Tulsi Gabbard’s political career began when she was 21 years old, when she was the youngest person to ever serve in the Hawaii house of representatives. Tulsi then went on to serve a tour in Iraq before eventually becoming a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Tulsi has run on a platform of ending regime change wars, protecting the environment and moving towards a greener economy.

Republicans

  • Incumbent President Donald Trump

Donald Trump has labeled himself a political outsider, as a populist that will fight for the American people and “drain the swamp.” This message won him the 2016 election by winning working class voters in key swing states such as Michigan and Florida. Trump has cited the economy, increase of border security, and his tax cut as his major accomplishments thus far in his presidency. Trump’s reelection campaign is running on keeping the economy strong, finishing the wall currently being built on the southern border, and the repeal and replacement of Obamacare.

  • Former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld

Bill Weld hopes to upset Donald Trump by swaying centrist republicans to his campaign. He began his public career as a district attorney, and later became the Governor of Massachusetts. Weld later worked in the private sector as an attorney, and ran an unsuccessful campaign for the governorship of New York. Weld is a socially liberal Republican, and even ran as the vice presidential candidate on the 2016 libertarian ticket. Weld’s campaign is running on moderation of social issues, sensible foreign policy, and running the economy in the “correct way.”