2020 Democratic Presidential Nominee Weekly Power Rankings - July 10, 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:

Eric Swalwell is the first significant candidate to drop from the race, which isn't surprising since he might not have even made the cut for the second debate. Speaking of debates, we now know that 3rd primary debates in September will be held in Houston.

1. Joe Biden

Previous Ranking: 1 (-)
Credentials: Vice President of the United States (2009–2017); U.S. Senator from Delaware (1973–2009)
Notes: New polling is proving that Biden's frontrunner status is on some shaky ground. He's still mostly polling in first place, but some polls have him down to the low 20s, a far cry from his early days in the 40s.

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: We are starting to get fundraising numbers from Q2, and Warren shines with over $19 million despite not having any fundraising events. This is only $2.5 mil less than Biden's donation total for the quarter, which shows Warren has strong support.

3. Kamala Harris

Previous Ranking: 3 (-)
Credentials: U.S. Senator from California (2017–Current); Attorney General of California (2011–2017); District Attorney of San Francisco (2004–2011)
Notes: Harris continues to poll well (sometimes even over Warren) after her strong debate performance. Her Q2 fundraising of $12 million is solid, but comes in 5th amongst those who have reported so far.

4. Bernie Sanders

Previous Ranking: 4 (-)
Credentials: U.S. Senator from Vermont (2007–Current); U.S. Representative from Vermont (1991–2007); Mayor of Burlington, Vermont (1981–1989)
Notes: Sanders surprisingly had the 4th-best Q2 in terms of donations, and his polling numbers in Iowa (the first primary state) leave much to be desired.

5. Pete Buttigieg

Previous Ranking: 5 (-)
Credentials: Mayor of South Bend, Indiana (2012 — Current)
Notes: Buttigieg hasn't gotten quite the polling bump I thought he would after the debate, but his fundraising tells another story. He leads the pack in Q2 with a surprising $25 million.

6. Beto O'Rourke

Previous Ranking: 6 (-)
Credentials: U.S. Representative from Texas (2013–2019); El Paso City Council (2005-2011)
Notes: O'Rourke has taken a bit of a dive since the debates, polling as low as 1% in Iowa. He also hasn't released his Q2 fundraising numbers yet, which might be a sign that it's lower than anticipated.

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. Julian Castro

Previous Ranking: 8 (-)
Credentials: U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (2014-2017); Mayor of San Antonio (2009-2014)

9. Amy Klobuchar

Previous Ranking: 9 (-)
Credentials: U.S. Senator from Minnesota (2007-Present)

10. Andrew Yang

Previous Ranking: Honorable Mention
Credentials: Entrepreneur
Notes: I'm adding Yang back to the rankings since he's polling as high as 3% in some national polls. He has also garnered enough excitement to probably get him to at least the 3rd debate.

Honorable Mentions

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
Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. Representative from Hawaii
Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senator from New York
Mike Gravel, Former U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative from Alaska
John Hickenlooper, Former Governor of Colorado
Jay Inslee, Governor of Washington
Seth Moulton, U.S. Representative from Massachusetts
Tim Ryan, U.S. Representative from Ohio
Tom Steyer, Billionaire
Marianne Williamson, Motivational Speaker & Self Help Author

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