US Elections is nearing and lots of names have popped up. It’s easy to get lost in a sea of names, so let’s see the candidates rising in prominence in each party.
Democratic Party
22 Democrats are already vying for the nomination to face President Trump in the general elections. As of recent polls, these are the top five candidates:
01. Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Former vice-president Joe Biden announced his candidacy last April 25. Biden has consistently topped the polls, triumphing over the closest candidate, Bernie Sanders, by a significant margin.
While he has established supremacy in the polls, some are concerned about his electability in the general elections, given his old age and the uncertainty on how his policies would fare in the national scale.
02. Bernie Sanders
From our partners:
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders returns for a presidential bid, securing the second spot in the conducted polls so far, making him the top Democrat in the progressive lane.
With this being his second run, Sanders has some influence that he could bank on. However, it seems not all his supporters will be giving their support to him a second time, with some considering other newer candidates given how the political terrain is drastically different compared to how it was in 2016.
03. Elizabeth Warren
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren garners the third spot for the Democratic Party nomination so far. She announced her presidential bid early this year.
Recently, she faced questions regarding her Native American ancestry. Apart from this, another challenge Warren would face is her inexperience in the national elections, which means she would need to work harder if she wants to earn the Democrats’ nomination.
04. Kamala Harris
California Senator Kamala Harris has the fourth spot in popularity in the Democratic Party’s pool of candidates. Announcing that she would run for president January this year, Harris is the first African-American woman to do so for the 2020 elections.
05. Pete Buttigieg
South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg closes the list of top five democrat candidates. The Afghanistan war veteran announced his bid for presidency back in January. He is considered a strong candidate for governorship in Indiana. He chose to forgo this strength in an underdog campaign for presidency.
The Democratic field sure is loaded. A large number of candidates translates to disunities and clash of ideas. We’ll see if the nominee who rises after the primary elections and caucuses will be able to get the Democratic party united behind their back.
Republican Party
While the Democrats have lots of candidates vying for the nomination, this is the complete opposite on the Republican Party’s end. Given that the incumbent President Trump is on their side, only few are inclined to challenge his reelection.
President Trump finds his first challenger for the nomination in William Weld, former governor of Massachusetts who announced that he would run for presidency last April.
A seated president being defeated in the primaries happened only once in history, this is when President Franklin Pierce sought reelection in 1857. Given this, the odds are tipping in favor of President Trump.
In spite of this, the presence of a serious challenger can still change the tides. With another candidate, a divide would form. Even if the president secures his party’s nomination, this could potentially weaken him in the general election.
As of recent history, we have the 1992 Republican primaries where President Bush, seeking reelection, faced Patrick Buchanan. This sufficiently dampened the then-sitting president’s campaign. This led to his defeat against President Clinton.
While the Republican field is less colorful, this doesn’t make it less interesting. Politics in the US is in a bit of tumultuous state in the recently. Several policies and laws have impact that goes beyond their borders. As we near the upcoming events culminating to Election 2020 we’re sure to see more colourful updates in the coming days.