In my opinion, the Democrats need ...
StaceyAbrams
MichaelBennet
JoeBiden
CoryBooker
SteveBullock
PeteButtigieg
JuliánCastro
AndrewCuomo
Billde Blasio
JohnDelaney
TulsiGabbard
KirstenGillibrand
KamalaHarris
JohnHickenlooper
JayInslee
JohnKerry
AmyKlobuchar
MitchLandrieu
WayneMessam
Seth Moulton
BetoO'Rourke
TimRyan
BernieSanders
HowardSchultz
EricSwalwell
ElizabethWarren
MarianneWilliamson
AndrewYang
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Democratic voters have no shortage of choices as the 2020 presidential primaries draw nearer. More than three dozen politicians, former officials and political outsiders have considered throwing their hats into the ring, with at least 20 likely to commit by the first primary debate in June.
They all bring different visions of what the party needs. Is it generational change, a history-making barrier breaker, a centrist with a proven ability to win Trump voters or a military veteran?
But the decision is not up to them. For the voters who will decide, here is a quick guide to help with understanding the choices ahead.
If you think Democrats should nominate someone from states where Trump did well
Trump won in 2016 by flipping traditionally Democratic states in the Midwest for the first time in years. Now some in the party are positioning themselves to argue that they could win those same states or gain ground in the Southwest.
3
Midwest
PeteButtigiegIN
AmyKlobucharMN
TimRyanOH
5
South
StaceyAbramsGA
JuliánCastroTX
MitchLandrieuLA
WayneMessamFL
BetoO'RourkeTX
8
West
MichaelBennetCO
SteveBullockMT
TulsiGabbardHI
KamalaHarrisCA
JohnHickenlooperCO
JayInsleeWA
HowardSchultzWA
EricSwalwellCA
12
Northeast
JoeBidenDE
CoryBookerNJ
AndrewCuomoNY
Billde BlasioNY
JohnDelaneyMD
KirstenGillibrandNY
JohnKerryMA
Seth MoultonMA
BernieSandersVT
ElizabethWarrenMA
MarianneWilliamsonNY
AndrewYangNY
Potential candidates highlighted above are those from states that Trump won or came within two percentage points of winning in 2016.
If you think the nominee should reflect the party’s diversity
Democrats nominated the first black major-party presidential candidate in 2008 and the first woman in 2016. Many candidates are hoping to break racial, ethnic, gender or sexual orientation barriers in 2020.
12
Minorities, women and LGBT candidates
StaceyAbrams
CoryBooker
PeteButtigieg
JuliánCastro
TulsiGabbard
KirstenGillibrand
KamalaHarris
AmyKlobuchar
WayneMessam
ElizabethWarren
MarianneWilliamson
AndrewYang
16
Other possiblecandidates
MichaelBennet
JoeBiden
SteveBullock
AndrewCuomo
Billde Blasio
JohnDelaney
JohnHickenlooper
JayInslee
JohnKerry
MitchLandrieu
Seth Moulton
BetoO'Rourke
TimRyan
BernieSanders
HowardSchultz
EricSwalwell
If you think Democrats need generational change
If President Trump, 72, wins reelection, he will be 74 on Inauguration Day in 2021. To get there, he may have to defeat an even older Democratic opponent, or one young enough to be his own child. The generational divisions were taken from definitions by the Pew Research Center.
2
Millennials
PeteButtigieg37
TulsiGabbard38
11
Gen Xers
StaceyAbrams45
CoryBooker49
SteveBullock53
JuliánCastro44
KirstenGillibrand52
WayneMessam44
Seth Moulton40
BetoO'Rourke46
TimRyan45
EricSwalwell38
AndrewYang44
12
Baby boomers
MichaelBennet54
AndrewCuomo61
Billde Blasio57
JohnDelaney56
KamalaHarris54
JohnHickenlooper67
JayInslee68
AmyKlobuchar58
MitchLandrieu58
HowardSchultz65
ElizabethWarren69
MarianneWilliamson66
3
Silent Gen
JoeBiden76
JohnKerry75
BernieSanders77
If you think Democrats should nominate a successful business person
Personal wealth and private-sector experience are not traditional qualifications in Democratic primary fights. But this year could be different, as several potential self-funders and private-sector success stories consider campaigns.
6
Business people
JohnDelaney
JohnHickenlooper
WayneMessam
HowardSchultz
MarianneWilliamson
AndrewYang
22
Other possible candidates
StaceyAbrams
MichaelBennet
JoeBiden
CoryBooker
SteveBullock
PeteButtigieg
JuliánCastro
AndrewCuomo
Billde Blasio
TulsiGabbard
KirstenGillibrand
KamalaHarris
JayInslee
JohnKerry
AmyKlobuchar
MitchLandrieu
Seth Moulton
BetoO'Rourke
TimRyan
BernieSanders
EricSwalwell
ElizabethWarren
If you think Democrats should nominate a veteran
Of the past 13 U.S. presidents, 10 were veterans of the U.S. military, and in 2018, Democrats embraced candidates with military experience across the country, including at least seven who will enter Congress for the first time in 2019.
4
Veterans
PeteButtigieg
TulsiGabbard
JohnKerry
Seth Moulton
24
Other possible candidates
StaceyAbrams
MichaelBennet
JoeBiden
CoryBooker
SteveBullock
JuliánCastro
AndrewCuomo
Billde Blasio
JohnDelaney
KirstenGillibrand
KamalaHarris
JohnHickenlooper
JayInslee
AmyKlobuchar
MitchLandrieu
WayneMessam
BetoO'Rourke
TimRyan
BernieSanders
HowardSchultz
EricSwalwell
ElizabethWarren
MarianneWilliamson
AndrewYang
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Rep. Seth Moulton’s age. He is 40.
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