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

Mr. Pete Buttigieg, Democrat

Mr. Pete Buttigieg, former Mayor of his hometown South Bend, Indiana, is the youngest 2020 presidential candidate and the first openly homosexual candidate.  He has a nine percent national polling average and has raised the second-highest fundraising total, according to The New York Times. 

His main goals are to abolish the electoral college, establish single-payer healthcare, and expand the Supreme Court.  In the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) News poll, Mr. Buttigieg obtained the support of 17 percent of likely Democratic primary voters in New Hampshire, surpassing candidates with higher national polling averages such as Senator Elizabeth Warren, according to nbcnews.com.

As a 38-year-old millennial, Mr. Buttigieg calls for a “generational change,” taking strong stances on issues such as gun control and climate change.  Mr. Buttigieg has less radical opinions on healthcare than Senator Bernie Sanders and Senator Elizabeth Warren, and instead highlights the need for a reimagined Supreme Court and judicial system, according to The Washington Post. 

Mr. Michael Bloomberg, Democrat

Mr. Michael Bloomberg is the founder of Bloomberg L.P., a software, data, and media company, and a former three-term Mayor of New York City.  His accomplishments as mayor, from 2002 to 2013, include economic growth in the city, a decrease in crime, and a focus on healthcare, according to The New York Times.

With a national polling average of five percent, Mr. Bloomberg entered the presidential race November 2019.  Mr. Bloomberg is one of two billionaire Democratic candidates.  In a recent poll, however, The Hill and Harris X, a marketing research company, found that 68 percent of Democrats voted that it does not make any difference whether a presidential candidate is a billionaire or not, according to thehill.com.

Mr. Bloomberg is a prominent supporter of stricter gun control laws, with a strong emphasis on universal background checks and a ban on assault weapons. 

Mr. Bloomberg has also proposed a plan, to which he has pledged $500 million, that aims to eliminate coal-fired power plants by 2030 and transition the United States to renewable energy sources.  In contrast to Senator Warren, Mr. Bloomberg does not endorse a wealth tax and deems such measures unconstitutional, according to The New York Times. 

Mrs. Amy Klochubar, Democrat

Mrs. Amy Klochubar, from Plymouth, Minnesota, is currently the Senior Senator for her state.  Mrs. Klochubar is passionate about combating drug and alcohol addiction, and has released a $100 billion plan to prevent and treat these problems that affect 19.7 million Americans each year, according to americanaddictioncenters.org.

Mrs. Klochubar has also enumerated 136 actions she would take within her first 100 days of presidency if elected.  These address issues such as prescription drugs, antitrust enforcement, and voting rights.  Her campaign has said that she would be able to pursue these actions with her executive power, according to The New York Times.

“The urgent problems our country is facing require immediate action,” Mrs. Klochubar said, according to The New York Times.

Mrs. Klochubar has a national polling average of four percent, but has been endorsed by The New York Times Editorial Board, alongside Senator Elizabeth Warren, and by the New Hampshire Union Leader ahead of the February 11 New Hampshire primaries. 

Mr. Andrew Yang, Democrat

Former technology executive Mr. Andrew Yang has no prior experience in politics, but has a national polling average of three percent, which is higher than several other candidates who have held positions in elective office, according to The New York Times.  Dubbed the “Yang Gang,” Mr. Yang has gained a following from progressives, libertarians, and disaffected voters, most of which are young and male.

The most well-known of Mr. Yang’s proposals is the Freedom Dividend, or a universal basic income plan, which would give every American over the age of 18 $1,000 per month.  This proposal is expected to start with a test run of ten families chosen from a raffle, according to pbs.com.  

This has caused a controversy, as the program would cost between $30 trillion and $40 trillion over the span of ten years, according to politifact.com.  Mr. Yang also advocates for Medicare for all, similar to several other Democratic candidates.

Featured Image by Natalie Dosmond ’21