2020 Democratic Presidential Nominee Weekly Power Rankings - March 4th, 2020

This list looks at who I believe currently has the best chance of winning the 2020 Democratic Party nomination for President. The list only includes major candidates who are still in the race. I am not a political expert, so don’t take this too seriously. Feel free to provide feedback.

Notes for This Week:

• There have been a lot of updates since my last post, so buckle in.
• South Carolina had its primary on Saturday. Joe Biden won rather handily, in part due to a late endorsement by Jim Clyburn.
• Biden's win in SC started a whirlwind 48 hours that included:
• Tom Steyer dropping out. 
• Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar dropping out and endorsing Biden.
• Endorsements from a slew of Democratic party figures, including Harry Reid and Beto O'Rourke. 
• The results from Super Tuesday are still rolling in, but it's now clearly a race between Sanders and Biden. Reported delegate counts are all over the place right now, so take any of them with a grain of salt (including mine below). 
• Michael Bloomberg suspended his campaign today and endorsed Biden. Bloomberg had bought his way into 44 delegates yesterday, including a win in American Samoa. Despite some other solid second and third place showings, Bloomberg didn't quite have the night he thought he paid for.

Source: Bing.com. Candidates with (*) have suspended their campaigns.

Power Rankings

1. Joe Biden

Previous Ranking: 3 (+2)
Credentials: Vice President of the United States (2009–2017); U.S. Senator from Delaware (1973–2009)
Notes: Biden pulled out quite the upset yesterday thanks in part to his strong showing in South Carolina and the dropouts (and endorsements) of fellow moderate candidates Buttigieg and Klobuchar. While it's still close, Biden is definitely the front-runner.

2. Bernie Sanders

Previous Ranking: 1 (-1)
Credentials: U.S. Senator from Vermont (2007–Current); U.S. Representative from Vermont (1991–2007); Mayor of Burlington, Vermont (1981–1989)
Notes: Sanders still has a good shot if he can build a coalition. If Warren drops out soon and endorses him, that would go a long way. However, don't be so quick to expect the two remaining progressive candidates to be simpatico.

3. Elizabeth Warren

Previous Ranking: 5 (+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 TARP (2008–2010)
Notes: Warren has more delegates than Bloomberg, but she had an overall poor showing yesterday. Many are claiming that she split the progressive vote with Sanders and cost him a few states, including her home state of Massachusetts, where she came in third.

4. Tulsi Gabbard

Previous Ranking: 8 (+4)
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 earned one delegate in American Samoa yesterday, but she still probably won't be eligible for the next debate.

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