2020 Democratic Presidential Nominee Weekly Power Rankings - February 13, 2019

This list looks at who I believe currently has the best chance of winning the 2020 Democratic Party nomination for President. Only notable individuals who have announced they are running or have formed an exploratory committee are included. I am not a political expert, so don’t take this too seriously. Feel free to provide feedback.

Notes for This Week:

In these first few months, you won't be seeing a lot of changes other than new individuals joining the race. I'll only be adding candidate notes when necessary. The elephant in the room right now is if any of the remaining big names plan to run. On the table are former Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Bernie Sanders, 2016 Popular Vote Winner Hillary Clinton, and former House Rep Beto O'Rourke. If anyone other than these individuals (or dark horses like Oprah) announce their campaign after March, it's hard to consider them a viable option. The field is already crowded, and newcomers will have a lot of catching up to do. 

1. Kamala Harris

• Previous Ranking: 1 (-)
• Credentials: U.S. Senator from California (2017–Current), Attorney General of California (2011–2017), District Attorney of San Francisco (2004–2011)
• Notes: Not much from Harris this week, other than her admitting to trying marijuana in college and calling for its legalization.

2. Elizabeth Warren

• Previous Ranking: 2 (-)
• Credentials: U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (2013–Current), Assistant to the President for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (2010–2011), Congressional Oversight Panel Chair for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (2008–2010)
• Notes: Warren turned her exploratory committee into a full-fledged campaign on Saturday, which wasn't a big surprise. While her past regarding her supposed Native American heritage will stick with her during the campaign, Trump didn't do himself any favors by making a reference to the Trail of Tears. 

3. Cory Booker

• Previous Ranking: 3 (-)
• Credentials: U.S. Senator from New Jersey (2013-Present), Mayor of Newark, NJ (2006-2013), Newark City Council (1998-2002)

4. Amy Klobuchar

• Previous Ranking: N/A
• Credentials: U.S. Senator from Minnesota (2007-Present)
• Notes: Klobuchar announced on Sunday, becoming the 5th high profile woman to join the field. She will most likely run as a moderate, which could work well in the general election, but might hurt her chances to get the nomination. Gillibrand is the only other notable moderate candidate, but she's been leaning more left lately. Klobuchar also has had some stories about being an abusive boss. FiveThirtyEight has a good article on her electability.

5. Kirsten Gillibrand

• Previous Ranking: 4 (-1)
• Credentials: U.S. Senator from New York (2009–Current), U.S. Representative from New York (2007–2009)

6. Julian Castro

• Previous Ranking: 5 (-1)
• Credentials: U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (2014–2017), Mayor of San Antonio (2009–2014)

7. Tulsi Gabbard

• Previous Ranking: 6 (-1)
• Credentials: U.S. Representative from Hawaii (2013–Current), Honolulu City Council Member (2011–2012), Hawaii State Representative (2002–2004), Major in Hawaii Army National Guard (2003-Current)
• Notes: Gabbard journeyed to Iowa this past week, where it looks like she might do a bit better than expected thanks to more a conservative base. 

8. John Delaney

• Previous Ranking: 7 (-1)
• Credentials: U.S. Representative from Maryland (2013–2019)

9. Pete Buttigieg

• Previous Ranking: 8 (-1)
• Credentials: Mayor of South Bend, Indiana (2012 — Current)