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2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries









 
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2020vt
The 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries and caucuses will be a series of electoral contests organized by the Democratic Party to select the 4,051 delegates to the Democratic National Convention and determine the Democratic nominee for President of the United States in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The elections will take place within all fifty U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories. An extra 716 unpledged delegates (712 votes) or superdelegates, including party leaders and elected officials, will be appointed by the party leadership independently of the primary's electoral process. The convention will also approve the party's platform and vice-presidential nominee.
Following the 2016 presidential elections, significant changes were proposed that would change the number and role of superdelegates in the nomination process.[2] Changes were enacted on August 25, 2018, which would allow superdelegates to vote on only the first ballot at a convention if it were uncontested.[3]
Background
After Hillary Clinton's loss in the previous election, the Democratic Party was seen as not having a clear leader.[4] There remained divisions in the party following the 2016 primaries which pitted Clinton against independent democratic socialist Bernie Sanders.[5][6] Between the 2016 election and the 2018 midterm elections, Senate Democrats have generally shifted to the political left in terms to college tuition, healthcare, and immigration.[7][8]
Soon after the 2016 general election, the division between Clinton and Sanders supporters was highlighted in the 2017 Democratic National Committee chairmanship election between Tom Perez and Keith Ellison.[9] Perez was elected Chairman and appointed Ellison as the Deputy Chair, a largely ceremonial role.[7][8] Several candidates began releasing serious policy proposals early in 2019 resulting in the "invisible primary" becoming more visible than in previous elections.
Perez has commented that the 2020 primary field will likely go into double-digits, rivaling the size of the 2016 GOP primary, which consisted of 17 major candidates.[10] In response to criticism of their 2016 debate schedule, the DNC has planned for at least twelve televised debates (the first six taking place in 2019). Depending on the size of the primary field, Perez has floated the possibility of splitting a single debate between two nights at the same location, choosing the participants of each night publicly and at random. Additionally, instead of polling numbers being the sole margin of participating in a debate, grassroots fundraising amounts will also factor into a candidate's inclusion.[11]

Reflecting growing changes to the demographics of the elected Democratic officials, several female candidates are expected to enter the race, increasing the likelihood of the Democrats nominating a woman for the second time in a row.[12] The topic of age has been raised in regards to some of the most likely front-runners: Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders; who will be 78, 71, and 79 respectively on Inauguration Day. Former Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid described the trio as "an old folks' home", expressing a need for younger, lesser known faces to step up and lead the party.[13]
Candidates

Declared major candidates and exploratory committees
In addition to having announced that they are running for president in 2020 or having formed exploratory committees for the 2020 presidential election, the candidates in this section have held public office or have been included in a minimum of five independent national polls.
Formed exploratory committee but has not officially declared candidacy

Other declared candidates and exploratory committees
As of January 2019, 159 individuals have filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for President in the Democratic Party primary,[23] including the following notable candidates:


Withdrawn candidates
The candidates in this section have withdrawn or suspended their campaigns.

Individuals who have publicly expressed interest

Individuals in this section have expressed an interest in running for president within the last six months. Some already have leadership PACs that function as campaign committees.[32]

Michael Bennet, U.S. Senator from Colorado since 2009[33][34][35][36]
Joe Biden, Vice President of the United States 2009–2017; U.S. Senator from Delaware 1973–2009; candidate for President in 1988 and in 2008[37][38]
Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City 2002–2013[39][40][41][42]
Sherrod Brown, U.S. Senator from Ohio since 2007; U.S. Representative 1993–2007[43][44][45][46][47]
John Hickenlooper, Governor of Colorado 2011–2019; Mayor of Denver 2003–2011[48][49]
Eric Holder, U.S. Attorney General 2009–2015; Acting U.S. Attorney General in 2001 from Washington, D.C.[50][51]
Jay Inslee, Governor of Washington since 2013; U.S. Representative 1999–2012[52]
Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senator from Minnesota since 2007[53][54]
Terry McAuliffe, Governor of Virginia 2014–2018[55][56][57][58]
Jeff Merkley, U.S. Senator from Oregon since 2009[59][60]
Beto O'Rourke, U.S. Representative from Texas 2013–2019, Democratic nominee for United States Senate election in Texas in 2018[61][62][63][64]
Tim Ryan, U.S. Representative from Ohio since 2003[65]
Bernie Sanders,[lower-alpha 3] U.S. Senator from Vermont since 2007; U.S. Representative 1991–2007; candidate for President in 2016[66][67][68][69]
Eric Swalwell, U.S. Representative from California since 2013[70][71]

U.S. Senator
Michael Bennet
 from Colorado
Former Vice President
Joe Biden
from Delaware
Former Mayor 
 Michael Bloomberg
 from New York
U.S. Senator
Sherrod Brown
from Ohio
Former Governor
John Hickenlooper
of Colorado
Former U.S. Attorney General
Eric Holder
from Washington, D.C.
Governor
Jay Inslee
of Washington
U.S. Senator
 Amy Klobuchar 
 from Minnesota
Former Governor
Terry McAuliffe
of Virginia
U.S. Senator
Jeff Merkley
from Oregon
Former U.S. Representative
 Beto O'Rourke 
 from Texas
U.S. Representative
Tim Ryan
from Ohio
U.S. Senator
Bernie Sanders[lower-alpha 3]
from Vermont
U.S. Representative
Eric Swalwell
from California


Speculative candidates

The following people have been subjects of speculation about their potential candidacy within the last six months, although they have neither personally expressed interest nor declined to run.
Steve Bullock, Governor of Montana since 2013[72][73][74][75]
Bill De Blasio, Mayor of New York City since 2014[76][77][78]
Angelina Jolie, actress and philanthropist from California[79][80][81]
John Kerry, Secretary of State 2013–2017; U.S. Senator from Massachusetts 1985–2013; Democratic nominee for President in 2004[82]
Mitch Landrieu, Mayor of New Orleans 2010–2018; Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana 2004–2010[83][84]
William H. McRaven,[lower-alpha 3] retired United States Navy Admiral from Texas[85][86][87]
Seth Moulton, U.S. Representative from Massachusetts since 2015[88][89]
Joseph Sanberg, co-founder of Aspiration, Inc. from California[90][91]
Adam Schiff, U.S. Representative from California since 2001[92][93][94]

Governor
Steve Bullock
of Montana
Mayor
Bill de Blasio
from New York
Angelina Jolie
from California
Former U.S. Secretary of State
John Kerry
from Massachusetts
Former Mayor
Mitch Landrieu
from Louisiana
Retired Admiral 
William H. McRaven[lower-alpha 3] 
from Texas
U.S. Rep.
Seth Moulton
  from Massachusetts
Joseph Sanberg 
from California
U.S. Rep.
Adam Schiff
 from California

Declined to be candidates
The individuals in this section have been the subject of speculation about their possible candidacy, but have publicly denied interest in running.


Stacey Abrams, former State Representative from Georgia[95][96][97]
Michael Avenatti, attorney from California[98][99]
Jerry Brown, former Governor of California[100][101]
Bob Casey Jr., U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania[102][103]
Hillary Clinton, former U.S. Secretary of State; U.S. Senator from New York; Democratic nominee for President in 2016[104]
Roy Cooper, Governor of North Carolina[105][106]
Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York[107][108][109]
Rahm Emanuel, Mayor of Chicago[110][111][112]
Al Franken, former U.S. Senator from Minnesota[113][114][115]
Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles, California[116]
Andrew Gillum, former Mayor of Tallahassee, Florida[117][118][97]
Al Gore, former Vice President from Tennessee; Democratic nominee for President in 2000[119][120]
Luis Gutiérrez, former U.S. Representative from Illinois[121][122]
Tim Kaine, U.S. Senator from Virginia; former Governor of Virginia[123][124]
Joe Kennedy III, U.S. Representative from Massachusetts[125][126]
Chris Murphy, U.S. Senator from Connecticut[127][128][129]
Phil Murphy, Governor of New Jersey[130][131]
Gavin Newsom, Governor of California[132][133][134]
Michelle Obama, former First Lady from Illinois[135]
Martin O'Malley, former Governor of Maryland[136][137]
Deval Patrick, former Governor of Massachusetts[138][139]
Joe Scarborough,[lower-alpha 3] talk show host and former U.S. Representative from Florida[140][141][142]
Howard Schultz,[lower-alpha 4] former CEO of Starbucks from Washington[143][144][145]
Tom Steyer, billionaire hedge fund manager and philanthropist, from California[146][147]
Jon Tester, U.S. Senator from Montana[148]
Nina Turner, former Ohio State Senator[149][150]
Maxine Waters, U.S. Representative from California[151][152]
Oprah Winfrey,[lower-alpha 3] television host from California[153][154][155]
Mark Zuckerberg,[lower-alpha 3] technology executive from California[156][157][158]

Debates and forums
On December 20, 2018, Tom Perez, the chairman for the Democratic National Committee, announced the preliminary schedule for a series of official debates, set to begin in June 2019.[159]
Timeline
Overview



2017
July 28: Congressman John Delaney of Maryland announces candidacy.[160]
2018
August 25: Democratic Party officials and television networks begin discussions as to the nature and scheduling of the following year's debates and the nomination process.[161] Changes were made to the role of superdelegates, deciding to only allow them to vote on the first ballot if the nomination is uncontested.[2]
November 11: West Virginia State Senator Richard Ojeda announces candidacy.[162]
December 12: Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro forms a 2020 presidential exploratory committee.[163]
December 31: Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts forms an exploratory committee.[164]
2019
January 11: Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii announces she has decided to run for president.[165]
January 12: Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro officially announces his candidacy for president.[163][166]
January 14: Richard Ojeda resigns his  state senate seat to focus on his campaign.[167]
January 15: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York announces the formation of an exploratory committee.[168]
January 21: Senator Kamala Harris of California officially announces her candidacy for president.[21]
January 23: Mayor of South Bend, Indiana Pete Buttigieg announces the formation of an exploratory committee.[15]
January 25: Richard Ojeda suspends his campaign.[169]
February 1: Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey announces his candidacy for president.[170]
February 9: Senator Elizabeth Warren has scheduled an announcement regarding her campaign.[171]
Starting in June, a series of forums and debates are expected to take place.[159]
Official lists of candidates are expected to be placed on early primary ballots starting in late October.
2020
The following anticipated primary and caucus dates may change depending on legislation passed before the scheduled primary dates.[172]
February
February 3:  Iowa caucus[172]
February 11: New Hampshire primary[172]
February 22: Nevada caucus[172]
February 29: South Carolina primary[172]
March
March 3: Super Tuesday (Alabama, California, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia primaries)[172]
March 7: Louisiana primary[172]
March 10: Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio primaries[172]
March 17: Arizona, Florida, and Illinois primaries[172]
Not yet determined: Colorado caucus (March 3, 10 or 17); Minnesota primary (March 3 by default, unless an alternate date is chosen)[172]
April
April 7: Wisconsin primary[172]
April 28: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island primaries[172]
May
May 5: Indiana primary[172]
May 12: West Virginia primary[172]
May 19: Arkansas, Kentucky, and Oregon primaries[172]
June
June 2: Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota primaries[172]
June 7: Puerto Rico primary[172]
June 16: District of Columbia primary[172]
July
July 13–16: Democratic National Convention[173]
Other primaries and caucuses
Not yet determined (dates of 2016 primaries/caucuses listed in parentheses): American Samoa (March 1), Kansas (March 5), Maine (March 6), Northern Mariana Islands (March 12), Alaska, Hawaii, Washington (March 26), Wyoming (April 9), Guam (May 7), Virgin Islands (June 4), and North Dakota (June 7) caucuses and Democrats Abroad, Georgia (March 1), Nebraska (March 5), Idaho (March 22), and New York (April 19) primaries; Utah (March 22) has a presidential caucus, but a primary option if funded; New York primary is scheduled for February 4 for procedural reasons, but date is expected to be amended in June 2019[172]
National convention
The 2020 Democratic National Convention is scheduled for July 13–16, 2020.[173]
On June 20, 2018, the DNC announced four finalist bidders under consideration for the convention site: Houston, Texas,[174] Miami Beach, Florida,[175] (hosted the 1972 convention), Milwaukee, Wisconsin,[176] and Denver, Colorado. Denver was immediately withdrawn from consideration by representatives for the city, citing scheduling conflicts.[177]
Endorsements





Cory Booker

U.S. Senators
Bob Menendez, U.S. Senator from New Jersey since 2006 [178]
Governors
Phil Murphy, Governor of New Jersey since 2018 [179]






Julian Castro

U.S. Executive Branch officials
Henry Cisneros, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (1993–1997); former Mayor of San Antonio, Texas (1981–1989)[180]
U.S. Representatives
Joaquin Castro, U.S. Representative from TX-20 since 2013; Castro's identical twin brother[181]
Emanuel Cleaver, U.S. Representative from MO-05 since 2005; former Mayor of Kansas City (1991–1999)[182]
State legislators
Diego Bernal, Texas State Representative from District 123 since 2015[183]
Poncho Nevárez, Texas State Representative from District 74 since 2013[183]
James Talarico, Texas State Representative from District 52 since 2019[183]
Local officials
Ron Nirenberg, Mayor of San Antonio, Texas since 2017[184] (Independent)
Nelson Wolff, Judge of Bexar County, Texas (2001–present); former Mayor of San Antonio (1991–1995)[180]
Individuals
Cristela Alonzo, comedian, actress, writer, and producer[185]
Maya Rupert, political strategist, writer, and advocate[186]





John Delaney

U.S. Representatives
Brad Ashford, former U.S. Representative from NE-02 (2015–2017)[187]
Richard L. Hanna, former U.S. Representative from NY-22 (2011–2017)[188] (Republican)
David Trone, U.S. Representative from MD-06 since 2019[189]





Tulsi Gabbard

Individuals
Tim Canova, law professor specializing in banking and finance; candidate for U.S. Representative from FL-23 in 2016 and Independent candidate in 2018[190] (Independent)





Kamala Harris

U.S. Executive Branch officials
Tony West, former U.S. Associate Attorney General (2012–2014); Harris' brother-in-law[191]
U.S. Representatives
Nanette Barragán, U.S. Representative from CA-44 since 2017[192]
Katie Hill, U.S. Representative from CA-25 since 2019[193]
Ted Lieu, U.S. Representative from CA-33 since 2015[194]
Statewide officials
Eleni Kounalakis, Lieutenant Governor of California since 2019[195]
Fiona Ma, State Treasurer of California since 2019[195]
State legislators
Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, California State Assemblywoman from District 4 since 2016[195]
Richard Bloom, California State Assemblyman from District 50 since 2012[195]
Wendy Carrillo, California State Assemblywoman from District 51 since 2017[195]
David Chiu, California State Assemblyman from District 17 since 2014[196]
Bill Dodd, California State Senator from District 3 since 2016[196]
Todd Gloria, California State Assemblyman from District 78 since 2015; former acting Mayor of San Diego (2013–2014); candidate for Mayor in 2020[195]
Jacqui Irwin, California State Assemblywoman from District 44 since 2014[197]
Robbyn Lewis, Maryland State Delegate from District 46 since 2017[198]
Kevin McCarty, California State Assemblyman from District 7 since 2014[197]
Jose Medina, California State Assemblyman from District 61 since 2012[197]
Nancy Skinner, California State Senator from District 9 since 2016[195]
Buffy Wicks, California State Assemblywoman from District 15 since 2018[197]
Scott Wiener, California State Senator from District 11 since 2016[195]
Local officials
London Breed, Mayor of San Francisco, California since 2018; former acting Mayor (2017–2018)[197]
Libby Schaaf, Mayor of Oakland, California since 2015[199]
Individuals
Marc Elias, attorney[191]
Maya Harris, lawyer, public policy advocate, and television commentator; Harris' sister[191]
Max Joseph, filmmaker and television host[200]
Rosie O'Donnell, comedian, actress, author, and television personality[201][202]
Pauley Perrette, actress[203]
Ron Perlman, actor and voice actor[204]
Rickey Smiley, stand-up comedian, television host, actor, and radio personality[205]
Averell Smith, political adviser[191]
Sharon Stone, actress, producer, and former fashion model[206]





Andrew Yang

Individuals
Rivers Cuomo, lead vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter of Weezer[207]
Ben Goertzel, founder and CEO of SingularityNET[208]
Fabrice Grinda, entrepeneur, blogger for Business Insider, and super angel[209]
David S. Rose, serial entrepreneur and angel investor[210]
Brian Yang, actor and producer[211]





Richard Ojeda (withdrawn)

Individuals
Krystal Ball, businesswoman; Democratic nominee for U.S. Representative from VA-01 in 2010[212]
Primary election polling

See also
2020 Democratic National Convention
Political positions of the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primary candidates
2020 Republican Party presidential primaries
2020 Green Party presidential primaries
2020 Libertarian Party presidential primaries
Notes