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Every Candidate Running for President in 2020

Photo credit: Raymond Boyd - Getty Images
Photo credit: Raymond Boyd - Getty Images

From Town & Country

For good reason, the candidates named by American's main two parties—Democrat and Republican—receive the lion's share of attention. But every presidential election cycle, a third party candidate or two manages to siphon off a small percentage of the vote, proving either that a portion of the electorate is seeking another option, or that these third parties champion beliefs voters can get behind (or both).

Here, a list of everyone that's thrown their hat in the ring for president in 2020, from the two heavyweights, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, to the lesser-known candidates.

Donald Trump

Photo credit: The Washington Post - Getty Images
Photo credit: The Washington Post - Getty Images

The President is hoping to win a second term in office as a Republican this November. Trump has been particularly focused on his reelection prospects since moving into the Oval Office, having famously filed the related paperwork with the Federal Election Commission just hours after his 2017 inauguration, and he has continued to hold rallies throughout his presidency.

It's highly likely that Mike Pence will once again join Trump's ticket, as although Trump hasn't made a show of reaffirming his commitment to his current veep, Pence's name appears on the campaign logo, and he has spoken at a number of Trump's rallies and campaign events.

Joe Biden

Photo credit: JIM WATSON - Getty Images
Photo credit: JIM WATSON - Getty Images

After a contentious Democratic primary, Biden has become the presumptive nominee. He'll be officially named the party's candidate at the 2020 Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee this August. Unlike many of his rivals in the primary, Biden is considered to be an establishment, moderate Democrat.

On August 11, Biden finally revealed his running mate: Senator Kamala Harris. The former Democratic primary candidate is the first Black woman to be nominated for national office on a major party's ticket, and the first person of Indian descent to do the same.

Jo Jorgensen

Jo Jorgensen is the Libertarian Party's nominee. She is an activist and psychology lecturer at Clemson University. A longtime Libertarian, she was previously Harry Browne's running mate on the party's 1996 ticket. Like many of her fellow party members, she believes in individuals' free rights and reducing the government's role in day-to-day life. (For example, she doesn't think the government should mandate mask-wearing or other restrictions during a pandemic.)

Spike Cohen, a podcast host and self-proclaimed anarchist, will be her vice-presidential candidate. Cohen previously campaigned alongside Vermin Supreme—a political troll who promised voters free ponies—but after the party's separate online elections for both slots on the ticket, was made Jorgensen's running mate.

Howie Hawkins

Photo credit: Pacific Press - Getty Images
Photo credit: Pacific Press - Getty Images

Hawkins in the Green Party's presidential nominee. A former construction worker and UPS staffer, Hawkins has been involved with the party's politics for decades, and even attended the party's first national meeting in 1984, according to his campaign website. Recently, he's run three unsuccessful campaigns to unseat New York Governor Andrew Cuomo as a Green Party candidate. (He won 1.7% of the vote in 2018.). A longtime labor activist, socialist, and environmentalist, his platform champions Medicare for All and the Green New Deal.

Angela Walker, an activist and organizer, will be Hawkins's running mate. She describes herself as "a Fred Hampton, Assata Shakur socialist" on the campaign's site.

Kanye West

On July 4, West tweeted that he was running for president. Days later, he reaffirmed his plans to run in an interview with Forbes. Still, confusion remained about his candidacy, as he'd yet to file any of the necessary paperwork.

The confusion continued on July 15, when hours after New York magazine quoted Steve Kramer—a get-out-the-vote specialist who said he'd been hired to get West on the ballot in Florida and South Carolina—saying that West was "out," news broke that West had qualified to appear on the Oklahoma ballot. A representative filed the necessary paperwork along with the requisite $35,000 fee to qualify for the state's election; on the same day, West's team reportedly filed a statement of organization with the Federal Election Commission.

Out of the running

Senator Bernie Sanders

Photo credit: Win McNamee - Getty Images
Photo credit: Win McNamee - Getty Images

Senator Bernie Sanders, who finished second in the Democratic primary in 2016, announced he was running for president again on February 19. He shared the news in an exclusive interview with CBS, during which journalist John Dickerson, asked him what was different this time around.

"We're gonna win," Sanders said.

"We are gonna also launch what I think is unprecedented in modern American history and that is a grassroots movement, John. To lay the groundwork for transforming the economic and political life of this country."

Sanders officially exited his campaign on April 8, 2020 leaving Joe Biden as the presumptive nominee. “It has been a very difficult and painful decision," he said. "If I believed we had a feasible path to the nomination, I would certainly continue the campaign."

Senator Kamala Harris

Photo credit: Al Drago - Getty Images
Photo credit: Al Drago - Getty Images

The senator from California announced her candidacy on Martin Luther King Day in 2019, with an appearance on Good Morning America.

"I’m running for president of the United States and I’m very excited about it," she said. "I’m honored to be able to make my announcement on the day that we commemorate Dr. King."

She informed her staff that she was dropping out of the race on December 3, 2019.

Pete Buttigieg

Photo credit: NBC - Getty Images
Photo credit: NBC - Getty Images

Pete Buttigieg, a Navy veteran and the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, announced the launch of a presidential exploratory committee on January 23, 2019 by posting a video on Twitter.

When asked about his qualifications to run for President, Buttigieg said, "I have more government experience than Trump, more executive experience than VP Pence, and more military experience than the two put together."

He is announced the end of his campaign on March 1, 2020. Per NBC's Katy Tur, an aide said "they didn’t see a clear path to the nomination."

Senator Amy Klobuchar

Photo credit: Alex Wong - Getty Images
Photo credit: Alex Wong - Getty Images

Minnesota's Senator Amy Klobuchar officially announced her candidacy in a snowstorm on February 10, 2019.

"I stand before you as the granddaughter of an iron ore miner, the daughter of a teacher and a newspaperman, the first woman elected to the United States Senate from the State of Minnesota, to announce my candidacy for President of the United States," she later tweeted. Watch a clip from her announcement here:

She is announced the suspension of her campaign in Dallas in March 2020 as she endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden.

Michael Bloomberg

Photo credit: Jeff Overs - Getty Images
Photo credit: Jeff Overs - Getty Images

A late entrant into the race, Michael Bloomberg officially announced his candidacy on November 24, 2019.

"I’m running for president to defeat Donald Trump and rebuild America," he wrote on Twitter. "I believe my unique set of experiences in business, government, and philanthropy will enable me to win and lead."

Following an unimpressive showing on Super Tuesday, Bloomberg dropped out of the race and endorsed Joe Biden.

Senator Elizabeth Warren

Photo credit: Joe Raedle - Getty Images
Photo credit: Joe Raedle - Getty Images

On December 31, 2018, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren became the first major Democratic candidate to announce that she was forming an exploratory committee. "Every person in America should be able to work hard, play by the same set of rules, & take care of themselves & the people they love," she wrote on Twitter in a post accompanied by a video. "That’s what I’m fighting for, & that’s why I’m launching an exploratory committee for president."

She ended her campaign following disappointing results on Super Tuesday.

Andrew Yang

Yang, an entrepreneur running on the platform centered around instituting a Universal Basic Income in the US, announced his candidacy early last year.

"We are experiencing the greatest technological and economic shift in human history. We need a way to help millions of Americans transition through this period, and a universal basic income is the best and most efficient way to do that," he says in his first campaign video. "I believe I have the right vision, priorities, and values to improve the lives of millions of Americans."

He dropped out of the race on the day of the New Hampshire primary. “I am a numbers guy,” Yang said in an interview with the Washington Post. “In most of these [upcoming] states, I’m not going to be at a threshold where I get delegates, which makes sticking around not necessarily helpful or productive in terms of furthering the goals of this campaign.”

Julián Castro

Photo credit: Edward A. Ornelas - Getty Images
Photo credit: Edward A. Ornelas - Getty Images

The former mayor of San Antonio, who served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Obama, announced his presidential run in San Antonio on January 12, 2019. "I'm running for president because it's time for new leadership, it's time for new energy and it’s time for a new commitment to make sure that the opportunities that I had are available to every American," he said.

He ended his campaign on January 2, 2020. “I’ve determined that it simply isn’t our time,” he said, making the announcement. “Today it’s with a heavy heart, and profound gratitude, that I will suspend my campaign for president.”

Senator Cory Booker

Photo credit: Jason LaVeris - Getty Images
Photo credit: Jason LaVeris - Getty Images

On February 1, 2019, Cory Booker announced his plan to run for president with a video on Twitter.

"I believe that we can build a country where no one is forgotten, no one is left behind," he says in the clip. "Together America, we will rise. I'm Cory Booker and I'm running for president of the United States of America."

He exited the campaign on January 13, 2020. “I got in this race to win, and I’ve always said I wouldn’t continue if there was no longer a path to victory,” he said in a statement to supporters.

“Our campaign has reached the point where we need more money to scale up and continue building a campaign that can win — money we don’t have, and money that is harder to raise because I won’t be on the next debate stage and because the urgent business of impeachment will rightly be keeping me in Washington.”

Joe Walsh

Photo credit: Tom Williams - Getty Images
Photo credit: Tom Williams - Getty Images

At one point, Trump was being challenged by former Congressman Joe Walsh, who is now a conservative talk show host. "Friends, I'm in. We can't take four more years of Donald Trump. And that's why I'm running for President," Walsh wrote on Twitter in August 2019. "It won't be easy, but bravery is never easy. But together, we can do it."

He dropped out of the race in February 2020.

“I am ending my candidacy for president of the United States,” Walsh said in an interview with CNN. “I got into this because I thought it was really important that there was a Republican — a Republican — out there every day calling out this president for how unfit he is.”

John Delaney

Photo credit: Bill Clark - Getty Images
Photo credit: Bill Clark - Getty Images

Former Maryland representative John Delaney's campaign strategy centered around getting into the race early. He officially announced his plans to run on July 28, 2017, with a piece in the Washington Post.

"The American people are far greater than the sum of our political parties. It is time for us to rise above our broken politics and renew the spirit that enabled us to achieve the seemingly impossible," he wrote. "This is why I am running for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States."

He dropped out of the race just a few days before the Iowa caucus, ending what the New York Times says was "one of the longest presidential campaigns in American history."

Michael Bennet

Photo credit: Zach Gibson - Getty Images
Photo credit: Zach Gibson - Getty Images

Colorado Democrat Michael Bennet entered the Democratic fray on May 2, 2019. He is currently serving as the state's senior senator. He ended his bid for the White House on February 11, 2020.

"I love our country. I love the idea of democracy. And I want to pass it on to the next generation. I feel nothing but joy tonight as we conclude this campaign and this chapter," he wrote on Twitter. "Tonight wasn’t our night. But New Hampshire, you may see me once again."

Deval Patrick

Photo credit: Stephen Maturen - Getty Images
Photo credit: Stephen Maturen - Getty Images

Patrick was a latecomer to the race, throwing his name in the ring back in November of 2019, but his run was a short one. He dropped out in February of 2020. "The vote in New Hampshire last night was not enough for us to create the practical wind at the campaign's back to go on to the next round of voting. So I have decided to suspend the campaign, effective immediately," he said in a statement.

Tom Steyer

Photo credit: Sean Rayford - Getty Images
Photo credit: Sean Rayford - Getty Images

On July 9, 2019 Tom Steyer announced his plans to run by posting a video on Twitter.

The clip came with several accompanying Tweets, one of which read, "When we come together, we can never be defeated. We can fix our democracy, and make sure it works for ALL Americans. We can elect new leaders at the local, state, and federal level. We can take back the Senate. But we can only do it together."

But he ended his presidential race after the South Carolina primary. "Honestly, I can't see a path where I can win the presidency," he said.

William Weld

Photo credit: Boston Globe - Getty Images
Photo credit: Boston Globe - Getty Images

Trump faced opposition from his own party in the form of former Massachusetts Governor William F. Weld. He officially announced he was challenging Trump for the GOP nomination in mid-April of 2019. "It is time for patriotic men and women across our great nation to stand and plant a flag. It is time to return to the principles of Lincoln -- equality, dignity, and opportunity for all," he has said of his campaign. "There is no greater cause on earth than to preserve what truly makes America great. I am ready to lead that fight."

He got out of the race in mid-March of 2020.

Representative Tulsi Gabbard

Photo credit: Aaron P. Bernstein - Getty Images
Photo credit: Aaron P. Bernstein - Getty Images

Tulsi Gabbard, a House Democrat from Hawaii, announced her plan to run on January 11, 2019. "I have decided to run and will be making a formal announcement within the next week," she told CNN.

That day, she also tweeted a link to her campaign website along with the message, "When we stand together, united by our love for each other and for our country, there is no challenge we cannot overcome. Will you join me? #TULSI2020"

She suspended her campaign in mid-March with a video statement and an endorsement of Joe Biden. Watch it below:

Marianne Williamson

Photo credit: Paula Lobo - Getty Images
Photo credit: Paula Lobo - Getty Images

Author and activist Marianne Williamson announced her candidacy for president on January 29, 2019.

"My campaign for the presidency is dedicated to this search for higher wisdom," she wrote on her campaign website. "Its purpose is to create a new political possibility in America — where citizens awaken, our hearts and minds are uplifted, and our democracy once more becomes a thing about which we can all feel proud."

She dropped out of the race on January 10, 2020.

With caucuses and primaries now about to begin, however, we will not be able to garner enough votes in the election to elevate our conversation any more than it is now,” she said in a statement. Per the New York Times, she also noted that she did not want to “get in the way of a progressive candidate winning.”

Beto O'Rourke

Photo credit: PAUL RATJE - Getty Images
Photo credit: PAUL RATJE - Getty Images

O'Rourke, the former representative for Texas's 16th district announced his plans to run for president in March 2019.

"I am running to serve you as the next president," he said in a tweet accompanying his announcement. "The challenges we face are the greatest in living memory. No one person can meet them on their own. Only this country can do that, and only if we build a movement that includes all of us."

In early November of that same year, he dropped out of the race, posting a thank you message to his supporters on Medium.

"Though it is difficult to accept, it is clear to me now that this campaign does not have the means to move forward successfully," he wrote. "My service to the country will not be as a candidate or as the nominee."

Richard Ojeda

Photo credit: John Sommers II - Getty Images
Photo credit: John Sommers II - Getty Images

Ojeda, a retired Army Major, who most recently served as a state senator in West Virginia, officially shared his plans to run for the presidency in November of last year."We got a long ways to go, this is going to be a long fight, but we’re going to do this together," he said in his campaign announcement. "I’m Richard Ojeda, and I’m running for the president of the United States of America."

But on January 25, he dropped out of the race with a statement on his Facebook page.

"The indications were very positive from an overwhelming response to our videos, to thousands of volunteers, and a level of grassroots fundraising support that grew every day," he wrote. "However, the last thing I want to do is accept money from people who are struggling for a campaign that does not have the ability to compete. So today I am announcing that I am suspending this campaign."

Congressman Eric Swalwell

Photo credit: Getty Images
Photo credit: Getty Images

In early April, Eric Swalwell, a congressman from northern California officially announced his plans to run for president on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. "I see a country in quicksand, unable to solve problems and threats from abroad, unable to make life better for people here at home," Swalwell said.

"I’m ready to solve these problems. I’m running for president of the United States."

In early July, he shared that he was officially dropping out of the race.

John Hickenlooper

Photo credit: Riccardo Savi - Getty Images
Photo credit: Riccardo Savi - Getty Images

In early March 2019, John Hickenlooper, the former governor of Colorado, announced on Good Morning America that he was running for President. "I believe that not only can I beat Donald Trump, but that I am the person that can bring people together on the other side and actually get stuff done," he said.

But in August, he shared that he was exiting the campaign.

"This morning, I’m announcing that I’m no longer running for President. While this campaign didn’t have the outcome we were hoping for, every moment has been worthwhile & I’m thankful to everyone who supported this campaign and our entire team," he said in a tweet.

Governor Jay Inslee

Photo credit: Mat Hayward - Getty Images
Photo credit: Mat Hayward - Getty Images

On March 1, 2019 Jay Inslee launched his campaign on a platform centered around climate change. "This is our moment, our climate, our mission — together, we can defeat climate change. That's why I'm running for president," he said in a tweet.

He announced that he was dropping out of the race on Rachel Maddow's show on August 21, 2019. In a thread on Twitter, he wrote:

"I know you agree that our mission to defeat climate change must continue to be central to our national discussion -- and must be the top priority for our next president. But I’ve concluded that my role in that effort will not be as a candidate to be our next president." Read his full thread here.

Congressman Seth Moulton

Photo credit: Bill Clark - Getty Images
Photo credit: Bill Clark - Getty Images

The congressman from Massachusetts announced his plans to run in late April, confirming his campaign on Good Morning America. In that interview, he said he's running "because I'm a patriot, because I believe in this country."

He got out of the race in late August.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

Photo credit: Drew Angerer - Getty Images
Photo credit: Drew Angerer - Getty Images

The New York senator made her plans to run for president known on January 15 during an appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

"I’m going to run for president of the United States because as a young mom I am going to fight for other people’s kids as hard as I would fight for my own," she said.

She exited the race in late August after not qualifying for the third round of debates. “I will support whoever the nominee is, and I will do whatever it takes to beat Trump,” she said.

Mayor Bill de Blasio

Photo credit: Sean Rayford - Getty Images
Photo credit: Sean Rayford - Getty Images

New York City mayor Bill de Blasio officially entered the 2020 race in May 2017, announcing his candidacy in a YouTube video. Watch his full announcement here:

He exited the race in mid-September tweeting: "It’s true: I’m ending my candidacy for president. But our fight on behalf of working people is far from over."

Congressman Tim Ryan

Photo credit: Alex Wong - Getty Images
Photo credit: Alex Wong - Getty Images

Ohio congressman Tim Ryan entered the 2020 race on Thursday, April 4, 2019 announcing his candidacy on The View.

"I’m a progressive who knows how to talk to working-class people," he said during the show. "At the end of the day, the progressive agenda is what’s best for working families."

He dropped out in mid-October with a statement:

"While it didn’t work out quite the way we planned, this voice will not be stifled. I will continue to advocate and fight for the working people of this country — white, black, brown, men, women," Ryan said. "There’s people who get up every day, take a shower after work sometimes, that are working really hard. And we’re going to continue to fight for making sure that those workers are treated fairly, and that they have access to good health care, that they have a solid pension to retire on."

Mayor Wayne Messam

Photo credit: Getty Images
Photo credit: Getty Images

Messam, who currently serves as the mayor of Miramar, Florida, officially got into the race in late March 2019. “The promise of America belongs to all of us," he said in a video shared on social media. "That's why I'm going to be running for president. To be your champion."

In November 2019, he ended his campaign. “I jumped in an already crowded field of capable candidates to change the direction of this nation caused by the dysfunction of Washington and the poor leadership of the current presidency,” he said in a post on Medium. “I knew the odds were a steep hill to climb but I have always fought for what is right and will continue to break barriers never broken.”

Governor Steve Bullock

Photo credit: William Campbell - Getty Images
Photo credit: William Campbell - Getty Images

Bullock announced his candidacy for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination on May 14, 2019 and ran as a moderate candidate, hoping to appeal to swing voters. But by December, he had dropped out of the race.

“While there were many obstacles we could not have anticipated when entering this race,” Bullock said in a statement. “It has become clear that in this moment, I won’t be able to break through to the top tier of this still-crowded field of candidates.”

Joe Sestak

Photo credit: Joshua Lott - Getty Images
Photo credit: Joshua Lott - Getty Images

The former congressman from Pennsylvania announced he was running for President in June 2019 with a video on his campaign website.

"Our country desperately needs a president with a depth of global experience and an understanding of all the elements of our nation’s power, from our economy and our diplomacy to the power of our ideals and our military, including its limitation,” he said. “So that, when faced with the decision on whether to use our military, our commander in chief will know how it will end before deciding if it is wise to begin.”

But by December, his campaign was over.

"I want to thank you for the honor of running for President of the United States of America," Sestak wrote in a tweet.

"It has been an endeavor filled with immeasurable wisdom, passions, humor and insights to, and from, the people of America," he said.

Mark Sanford

Photo credit: NBC NewsWire - Getty Images
Photo credit: NBC NewsWire - Getty Images

Mark Sanford, the former congressman from South Carolina, joined the race for the Republican nomination in September of last year.

“I am here to tell you now that I am going to get in,” he said in an interview on Fox. “I think we need to have a conversation on what it means to be a Republican.” He ended his campaign in November 2019.

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