For the 2020 presidential election, the King Street Chronicle will introduce the candidates from both the Republican and Democratic parties.  In this first volume, we cover the top three Democratic candidates, ranked by national polling average at the time of publication.

Mr. Joseph Biden, Democrat

Mr. Joseph Biden Jr., former Senator and Vice President of the United States, from Scranton, Pennsylvania, is running for the position of 46th President of the United States.  Mr. Biden, a Democrat, is currently leading the 2020 presidential race with a national polling average of 27 percent, according to The New York Times. 

This is Mr. Biden’s third attempt to win the Democratic presidential nomination, with previous attempts in 1988 and 2008.  Of all the 2020 presidential candidates, Mr. Biden has the largest number of endorsements from governors and members of Congress.  Mr. Biden, however, has raised less money than four of the other Democratic candidates, according to The New York Times.  Mr. Biden’s signature issues concern healthcare, economic protections for low-income workers, and America’s role on the global stage.

According to a poll by The Washington Post, 48 percent of African-American Democrats would vote for Mr. Biden. Therefore, Mr. Biden holds a wide lead amongst a group that has historically played a large role in determining the Democratic nominee for the presidential election, according to The Washington Post.  

Mr. Biden has support from voters over 65 and more conservative members of the Democratic party, thus appealing to broader political preferences than those of white, college-educated Democrats, according to The New York Times.  

Senator Bernard Sanders, Democrat

Senator Bernard Sanders, from Brooklyn, New York, is a Vermont Senator and a former member of the House of Representatives.  In 2016, Senator Sanders was the runner-up to Mrs. Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential primary.  Senator Sanders currently has a national polling average of 19 percent and has the most individual contributions of all the Democratic candidates.

In a poll conducted by The New York Times and Siena College Research Institute in Iowa, Senator Sanders was chosen as the Democrat of choice in the Iowa caucuses by 25 percent of pollers.  Likewise in New Hampshire, a poll conducted by CNN and the University of New Hampshire put Senator Sanders on top with 25 percent. 

Senator Sanders labels himself a Democratic socialist, which is a common political stance amongst European leaders.  By definition, a Democratic socialist does not support capitalism, but believes that socialism should be achieved democratically.  Senator Sanders has introduced legislation that would eliminate all of the country’s student debt, as well as a bill that would establish Medicare for all. 

Senator Sanders hopes to create “a government and economy that work for all,” according to The New York Times. 

Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat 

Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Senator, currently has a national polling average of 16 percent.  The main goal of her campaign is to stray away from large corporations and give power to laborers.  Senator Warren believes in canceling student loan debt and Medicare for all.  Senator Warren’s principal plan in order to fund her proposals, such as universal child care, increased spending on public schools, and free college, is to instate a wealth tax, which would collect a revenue of an estimated $3.5 trillion, according to The New York Times.

In the final weeks leading up to the February 3 Iowa caucuses, where the state of Iowa will register their preference for the Democratic candidate, the Des Moines Register Editorial Board endorsed Senator Warren for president January 25.  The New York Times Editorial Board also endorsed Senator Warren January 19.  Although the endorsement by the Des Moines Register is not always accurate, it did back the winner of the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate and historically has helped the endorsee by three points, according to nationalreview.com.

In a poll conducted by CNN January 16 to 19, Senator Warren had a 50 percent approval rating, as opposed to 45 percent for current United States President, Republican Mr. Donald Trump, according to CNN. 

Featured Image by Natalie Dosmond ’21