The 2020 presidential election is shaping up to be one wild ride. Ten different people have declared their candidacy and are campaigning for the Democratic nomination: Elizabeth Warren, John Delaney, Andrew Yang, Julián Castro, Tulsi Gabbard, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Marianne Williamson, and Corey Booker. This includes four senators, two current and former members of the House of Representatives, a businessman, a former housing secretary, a mayor, and an author. In addition, more than fifteen others – including Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Governor of Washington Jay Inslee, and Stacy Abrams – are likely to declare their presidential run.
On the Republican side, there is growing speculation that the former Governor of Massachusetts, William Weld, may challenge Donald Trump in the Republican primary. Weld switched party affiliation in 2016 to run as the Libertarian vice-presidential candidate. On Jan. 17 of this year he switched his party registration from Libertarian back to the Republican Party, leading to speculation that Weld may run for the White House as a Republican.
However, given that the only time an elected sitting-president was denied his party’s nomination was Franklin Pierce in 1852, Trump’s chances of securing his party’s nomination are very good.
In addition, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is considering running as an Independent, a move seen by many as weakening the Democratic base and quite possibly helping Trump.
For anyone who opposes Trump, this will be a nerve-wracking election. When the 2016 results came out, it felt like a bad dream. We have already realized that predictions can be wrong and that what is seen as impossible can indeed happen. Now we are wondering if the nightmare will end or if will we have to brace ourselves for four more years.
This will be my first federal election as a voter, and I am scared. I worry about the number of candidates for the Democratic nomination; will people be upset that whichever candidate they supported did not get the nomination and simply abstain from voting, or vote for another party? I worry about Schultz because he would end up taking away potential Democratic votes and thus boost Trump, even though his chances of winning are next to nothing. The last Independent to win the presidency was George Washington. Once you take out the states that consistently vote Democrat or Republican, there are simply not enough electoral votes left for an Independent to win an election.
Our only chance of ousting Trump is if we all unite behind whoever the Democratic nominee is, even if we do not completely agree with them.