2020 Democratic Presidential Nominee Weekly Power Rankings - June 19, 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:

There's some shake-ups in the Top 5, which I was not expecting at this point in the election cycle. The first debates are next week, and we now know who has qualified and who is going on what night. President Trump had kicked off his campaign yesterday with a rally in Orlando.

1. Joe Biden

Previous Ranking: 1 (-)
Credentials: Vice President of the United States (2009–2017); U.S. Senator from Delaware (1973–2009)
Notes: Biden seems to be doubling down on being "Status Quo Joe". He told attendees at a fundraiser yesterday that he wouldn't demonize the wealthy, and that their status of life wouldn't change. He also keeps suggesting that Republican politicians are just misguided by Trump and will go back to working with their colleagues across the aisle. This kind of stuff will probably play well with older, more moderate voters, but it sure won't fire anyone up. Biden shouldn't rest on his lead, because front-runners can fail.

2. Elizabeth Warren

Previous Ranking: 3 (+1)
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: The first shake-up in the rankings this week has Warren overtaking 2nd place from Sanders. Why? Well, she's been surging in the polls, even beating Sanders in some state and national polls. She's been very policy-driven so far, which has seemed to garner more interest and confidence in her. Some see her as the more palatable alternative to Sanders, since she is a true Democrat (Sanders usually identifies as an Independent). That means more party and establishment support, which will be important when Super Delegates come into play.

3. Bernie Sanders

Previous Ranking: 2 (-1)
Credentials: U.S. Senator from Vermont (2007–Current); U.S. Representative from Vermont (1991–2007); Mayor of Burlington, Vermont (1981–1989)
Notes: Sanders may have dropped to #3 in the rankings, but he's only down by a hair. He's still incredibly popular with progressive younger voters, who are starting to turn out to vote more than ever. However, we are several months into the primary season, and Bernie's polling average is around 15 percent despite having almost total name recognition. There may not be much more room for his numbers to grow.

4. Pete Buttigieg

Previous Ranking: 5 (+1)
Credentials: Mayor of South Bend, Indiana (2012 — Current)
Notes: Buttigieg has pulled ahead of Harris in most polls, and definitely seems to excite people more Harris. He had a few stories this week that elicited mix reactions. First, he has cancelled some campaign events to go back to South Bend to deal with a police shooting of a black man. This test of leadership will be important to his image. Second, he said that wouldn't move the American embassy in Israel after the Trump administration moved it to Jerusalem last year. Many progressives criticized the statement, as they have become more critical of the relationship between the US and Israel.

5. Kamala Harris

Previous Ranking: 4 (-1)
Credentials: U.S. Senator from California (2017–Current); Attorney General of California (2011–2017); District Attorney of San Francisco (2004–2011)

6. Beto O'Rourke

Previous Ranking: 6 (-)
Credentials: U.S. Representative from Texas (2013–2019); El Paso City Council (2005-2011)

7. Cory Booker

Previous Ranking: 7 (-)
Credentials: U.S. Senator from New Jersey (2013-Present); Mayor of Newark, NJ (2006-2013); Newark City Council (1998-2002)

8. Amy Klobuchar

Previous Ranking: 8 (-)
Credentials: U.S. Senator from Minnesota (2007-Present)

Honorable Mentions, Tier 1

Julian Castro, Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. Representative from Hawaii
Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senator from New York
John Hickenlooper, Former Governor of Colorado
Jay Inslee, Governor of Washington
Andrew Yang, Entrepreneur

Honorable Mentions, Tier 2

Michael Bennet, U.S. Senator from Colorado
Steve Bullock, Governor of Montana
Bill De Blasio, Mayor of New York
John Delaney, Former U.S. Representative from Maryland
Mike Gravel, Former U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative from Alaska
Seth Moulton, U.S. Representative from Massachusetts
Tim Ryan, U.S. Representative from Ohio
Eric Swalwell, U.S. Representative from California
Marianne Williamson, Motivational Speaker & Self Help Author

Let me know what you think about my rankings! Leave a comment below.