The 2020 Election is now in full swing and many have jumped to social media to express their views; however, a big problem in recent years has been the lack of knowledge for the candidates running. So, let’s rundown the candidates, both Democratic and Republicans, to give a general idea of who the people running are, as well as their chances of getting to office.

Last Thursday, the recent Democratic Debate took place. Ten of the twenty Democrats running took the stage. At the top of the heap stands Joe Biden, currently at a 26% national polling average, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders at 17% and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren at 16%. The rest  of the candidates are under 10%. Joe Biden strongly stands for protecting workers with low income at an economic and believes we must restore the nation’s standing on the global stage. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders believed in “Medicare for all,” reducing or putting a restriction on the influence of higher-class citizens, and free college tuition. As for Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, her campaign has raised awareness for income inequality in the United States and she has discussed about what she believes to be political corruption attacking middle-class citizens.

As for the Republican candidates, three have decided to go up against Trump: Joe Walsh, Mark Sanford, William F. Weld. Mark Sanford is a fiscal conservative, meaning he supports laws advocating for low taxes, reduced government spending and lowering the US debt. He says his campaign will start a debate about America’s increasing debt problem. Joe Walsh is also focusing on reducing the national debt. His other primary concerns include restraining executive power, securing the border, and defeating Trump. The biggest candidate to go against Trump, though, is William F. Weld, who has dedicated his campaign to reducing federal spending, decreasing taxes, supporting moderate immigration reform and free trade, as well as supporting pushes to legalize marijuana. Weld defeating Trump, however, is an unlikely feat as Trump’s national polling average rounds to 81.5% (Weld’s being around 9%.)

Now that impeachment proceedings have moved forward in the House, we’ll have to see how much it will affect the 2020 Election. Democratic candidates, such as Biden and Warren, could see their current advantages increase and their polls go up. With poll-leading Joe Biden at the center of the impeachment story, other candidates could find it harder to get ahead in the race. On the other hand, perhaps the spotlight won’t be friendly to Biden and opposition to impeachment might motivate Trump’s supporters. As for Trump’s election polls, it’s still uncertain. Support for impeachment inquiries are at 79% for Democratic, 10% for Republican, and 39% for Independent voters, according to Morning Consult vice president Tyler Sinclair.

For more information on the candidates, go to this link.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/us/politics/2020-presidential-candidates.html

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/elections/democratic-polls.html?mtrref=www.google.com&gwh=0C62253C8E91F5E123D688E436993451&gwt=pay&assetType=REGIWALL

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/us/politics/2020-presidential-candidates.html

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/2020_republican_presidential_nomination_trump_vs_weld-6883.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/impeachment-will-define-the-2020-election/2019/09/25/7b931390-df82-11e9-be96-6adb81821e90_story.html

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/26/poll-support-impeachment-trump-1515012