Even though the next inauguration is in two years, the race for the presidency is on. As of now, 16 candidates are in the running, comprising of 13 Democrats, two Republicans, and one Independent.
- Cory Booker (D)
- Pete Buttigieg (D)
- Julian Castro (D)
- John Delaney (D)
- Tulsi Gabbard (D)
- Kirsten Gillibrand (D)
- Kamala Harris (D)
- John Hickenlooper (D)
- Jay Inslee (D)
- Amy Klobuchar (D)
- Beto O’Rourke (D)
- Elizabeth Warren (D)
- Marianne Williamson (D)
- Andrew Yang (D)
- Bernie Sanders (I)
- Howard Schultz (I)
- Donald Trump (R)
- Bill Weld (R)
One interesting candidate is billionaire and former Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz. He has spoken about his interests in entering the race as an independent even though he is a Democrat. Schultz, along with many others, has pointed out the conflicts that are beginning to tear apart the democratic party.
“I would reassess the situation if the numbers change as a result of a centrist Democrat winning the nomination.”
He is referring to the far-left candidates who he believes do not support the beliefs of more moderate Democrats. Another hot button topic is democratic socialism which is dividing the party. Candidates such as Bernie Sanders and Andrew Yang are considered democratic socialists, with plans to enact practices such as Universal Basic Income, free tuition to public universities, socialized medicine, and much higher taxes for the 1%. Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden are a good example of today’s moderate democrats.
