Who Is Challenging Donald Trump in 2020?
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If there’s been any dominating theme of the 2020 presidential race so far, it’s that there has been an unusually large number of Democratic candidates running campaigns. In the past couple of months, though, things have begun to look different.
After the Democratic primary field swelled to its highest number of candidates earlier this summer, several challengers ultimately suspended their campaigns. Additionally, two new Republican candidates have stepped up to challenge current President Donald J. Trump. Here’s a breakdown of everyone who is challenging Donald Trump in 2020.
New Republican contenders
Joe Walsh
On August 25th, former House representative Joe Walsh, R-IL, announced he would run for president. Walsh became the second Republican candidate to challenge President Trump.
Walsh represented Illinois’ 8th congressional district for two years. Afterward, Walsh became a staple in conservative talk radio, but after he announced his presidential run, he lost his radio show. In recent years, he has become among the most widely followed conservative figures on Twitter.
Mark Sanford
On September 8th, Mark Sanford, who is also a former House representative (R-SC) just as Walsh is, announced he would seek the Republican nomination for the 2020 presidential election. Sanford is the third Republican candidate to challenge Trump, following Bill Weld’s campaign launch earlier this year and Walsh’s announcement just weeks before Sanford’s.
Leading Democratic contenders
Joe Biden
As has long been the case, Joe Biden remains the most popular Democratic presidential candidate among prospective voters. Some polls give Biden a four-point lead over the runner-up, whereas others give him a much larger 16-point lead. Biden recently came under fire for hosting a fundraiser with fossil fuel executives, with whom many place the blame for climate change.
Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren
The vast majority of polls project either Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren in second place. The two candidates, both of whom are hugely prominent voices among Senate Democrats, share many overlapping policies and views. In fact, each candidate’s goals are so similar that the progressive left has long wondered whether having both candidates run could actually hamper the advancement of progressive values.
Kamala Harris
California Senator Kamala Harris remains just behind Senators Sanders and Warren in Democratic primary polling. In most polls, the two progressive left senators have a sizeable lead on Harris, but in Emerson’s poll, Harris only trails Warren by five points.
Democrats no longer challenging Trump in 2020
Currently, 20 Democratic candidates are vying for the presidential nomination. This number represents five fewer candidates than earlier this summer when Democratic debates began. In August, five candidates suspended their presidential campaigns:
- Mike Gravel, a former Democratic senator representing Alaska, suspended his campaign on August 6th.
- John Hickenlooper, a former Democratic governor of Colorado, suspended his campaign on August 15th.
- Jay Inslee, the Democratic governor of Washington, suspended his campaign on August 21st.
- Seth Moulton, who currently represents Massachusetts’ 6th congressional district, suspended his campaign on August 23rd.
- Kirsten Gillibrand, a prominent Democratic senator representing New York, suspended her campaign on August 28th.
Who do you think stands the strongest chance of beating Trump in 2020? Sound off in the comments!