A 2020 GUIDE TO THE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES - February 2019 - Cogent Strategies
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A 2020 GUIDE TO THE DEMOCRATIC
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
February 2019
SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ)
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Candidate Overview Relevant Experience
• United States Senate: Senator from New Jersey
• Declared his run for president on February 1, 2019. (2013-Present)
• City of Newark, NJ: Mayor (2006-2013)
• Championed criminal justice reform, advocated for scaling back federal criminal
• City of Newark, NJ: Council member
penalties for marijuana and pushed for civil rights as a senator.
Age: 49 years-old
• Promises to run a relentlessly positive and unifying campaign, preaching love as an
antidote to the nation's ills. Website: https://corybooker.com/
• Has one of the more liberal voting records in the Senate, but has faced criticism
Book: United: Thoughts on Finding Common
for his ties to Wall Street, defense of private equity, his stance on the Ground and Advancing the Common Good
pharmaceutical industry and charter schools.
• Developed an image as mayor as being a personable politician– shoveling
driveways for constituents and rescuing someone from a burning building.
• Not accepting donations from corporate PACs or federal lobbyists.
Sources: New York Times, CNN, CBS News, NPR
“I believe that we can build a country where no one is forgotten, no one is left behind… where
we see the faces of our leaders on television and feel pride, not shame.” -Campaign launch video 3
ON THE ISSUES
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Criminal Justice
• In the 2020 Democratic primary, criminal justice reform is the one issue that could make him stand out. [VOX 2.1.19]
• Booker has introduced at least ten separate bills regarding criminal justice, including legislation intended to end the prohibition on
marijuana, reduce discrimination in the hiring of former convicts, bring transparency and data to police shootings and improve funding
for the offices of public defenders, who are often overworked and underfunded. [WashPo 2.1.19]
• In 2017, Booker introduced the Reverse Mass Incarceration Act, which would authorize $2 billion a year to encourage states to cut
prison populations while keeping crime rates low. He has also backed more traditional criminal justice bills, ranging from the First Step
Act to ending welfare bans for drug offenders, public defender reforms to “ban the box.” [VOX 2.1.19]
Economy and Jobs
• Booker supports a $15 minimum wage. He also backs a pilot program that would provide grants to local governments to guarantee
everyone a job and paid sick leave.
• In 2018, Booker sponsored the American Opportunity Accounts Act to eliminate the income gap by creating a savings account for
every child that could grow to as much as $46,000 by their 18th birthday. The “opportunity account” could be used to pay for home
ownership or higher education.
• Booker has said little recently about President Trump’s re-negotiation of trade deals with Canada and Mexico, but he once said such
agreements need to be “much more fair to US companies.” He opposed giving the Obama Administration fast-track trade authority
during early negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). [PBS 2.1.19]
• Booker introduced the Federal Jobs Guarantee Development Act, which would provide 15 metro areas federal money to provide all
their residents with jobs. [VOX 04.20.18]
4
ON THE ISSUES
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Education
• Booker is a longstanding advocate for charter schools. [NY Times 2.1.19]
• He has joined with other Senators to support innovative ideas that would allow students to refinance college loans and simplify the
student loan process to make college more accessible and affordable. [Booker Senate Website 2.8.19]
Environment and Climate Change
• Booker announced that “environmental justice” will be one of his top policy issues of his campaign. [NY Times 2.1.10]
• He has endorsed the Green New Deal. [NY Times 2.1.10]
Foreign Affairs
• Booker has criticized US policy and airstrikes in Syria and believes the 2001 military authorization passed by Congress after the 9/11 terror
attacks should not be used to justify continued action in Syria. Booker has stated that President Trump’s planned withdrawal of troops from
Syria is “reckless and dangerous” but also voted against a Senate resolution that warned against a hasty withdrawal of troops from Syria and
Afghanistan. [PBS 2.1.19]
• Booker has been a strong proponent of US-Israeli relations and co-sponsored a bill that would prohibit US companies from joining
the movement for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel. [NJ.com 12.31.18]
Gun Safety
• Booker introduced the Assault Weapons Ban of 2017 to ban high-capacity and assault weapons and he supported the Background
Check Expansion Act to expand federal background checks to all gun sales. [PBS 2.1.19]
5
ON THE ISSUES
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Health Care
• Booker supports Sen. Bernie Sander’s (I-VT) proposed Medicare for All Act. [NY Times 2.1.19]
• He has received millions in Senate campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical industry and has been reluctant to focus regulatory efforts
on the industry. In 2017, Booker voted against a bill that would have greatly reduced drug prices by allowing imports from Canada. He has
since reversed course and announced his support for Sen. Sanders’ Prescription Drug Price Relief Act which seeks to rein in prescription drug
costs. [NY Times 2.1.19]
Housing and Poverty
• Booker has introduced the Housing Opportunity, Mobility, and Equity (HOME) Act to address housing affordability. The HOME Act ($134 billion
a year) would provide a refundable credit to people paying more than 30 percent of their income in rent. The credit would be worth the
difference between their year’s rent (capped at the area fair-market rent) and 30 percent of their income. There is no strict income requirement
though the fair market rent requirement prevents the credit from going to luxury renters. [VOX 1.30.19]
Immigration
• Booker supports protection for “Dreamers” and is a vocal critic of the Trump Administration’s immigration policies.
• Booker co-sponsored the REUNITE Act, a bill to reunite separated immigrant families. He visited the border to see the impact of President
Trump’s immigration policies and later objected to the Pentagon sending troops to the US-Mexico border in the run-up to the 2018
midterms.
• Booker has stopped short of calling for the abolition of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and instead believes Congress
should take a “serious look” at the agency. [PBS 2.1.19]
6
MAYOR PETE BUTTIGIEG (D)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D)
Candidate Overview Relevant Experience
• Declared his run for president on January 23, 2019. • City of South Bend, IN: Mayor (2012-Present)
• United States Navy Reserves: Lieutenant (2009-
• Former mayor of South Bend, IN, Afghanistan War veteran and the first married gay Present)
man to make a run at the presidency.
Age: 37 years-old
• Cast his candidacy as a “generation that is stepping forward.”
Website: https://www.peteforamerica.com/
• Calling for policies “untethered to the politics of the past” with a focus on issues
including climate change and economic opportunity. Book: Shortest Way Home: One Mayor’s Challenge
and a Model for America’s Future
• Considered a long-shot campaign that may test the appeal of a youthful profile over
more traditional qualifications. Slogan: “It’s time for a new generation of American
leadership.”
• Called for the elimination of the Electoral College stating that it’s made our society
less and less democratic.
• Drew national notice after delivering an essay that counseled Democrats on how to
recover from their defeats in the 2016 elections and his failed run for DNC chair. Sources: New York Times, CNN, CBS News, NPR
“I launched a presidential exploratory committee because it is a season for
boldness and it is time to focus on the future.” –Campaign launch video 8
ON THE ISSUES
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D)
Criminal Justice
• Buttigieg tried to address neighborhood crime during his time as mayor, supporting the adoption of technology that allows police
departments to triangulate the location of gunshots. Furthermore, as gang- or group-related shootings were rising, South Bend
implemented in May 2014 a Group Violence Intervention initiative in which police partner with community organizations to connect at-
risk men with jobs and education. [South Bend Tribune, 12/18/18]
Housing and Poverty
• One of Buttigieg’s first goals in office was to launch an initiative to repair or demolish 1,000 decaying homes in 1,000 days. His
administration hit that target, addressing 1,1016 houses 62 days ahead of schedule. [South Bend Tribune, 12/18/18]
• Buttigieg has removed homeless encampments with Code Enforcement clean-outs, but not before providing city funding to Hope
Ministries to create overnight-only weather amnesty shelters. [South Bend Tribune, 12/18/18]
• Buttigieg convened a working group to identify solutions and earmarked more city money for a gateway or intake center — yet to be
established — and permanent supportive housing. [South Bend Tribune, 12/18/18]
9
ON THE ISSUES
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D)
Economy and Jobs
• Buttigieg points to his efforts in revitalizing and diversifying the economy of South Bend – a Rust Belt town mired in post-industrial decline until
he took office – as evidence of his potential to implement the same policies on a national scale. [NPR, 1/31/19]
• In 2014, Buttigieg launched Smart Streets, a $21 million project aimed at making the downtown more pedestrian-friendly and conducive to
retail and housing growth. He slowed traffic by narrowing streets, adding pavers, new trees and designated bike lanes, and converting one-way
streets to two-way. He has credited the changes with spurring private development and a general resurgence of downtown South Bend.
• As mayor, Buttigieg aimed to diversify South Bend’s economy rather than to engage in “smokestack chasing.” On the subject, Buttigieg said,
“Don’t get me wrong, we're still doing manufacturing ... but we recognize that it's increasingly automated and there's got to be more to the
story. That's why we're growing an industry in data centers and industries that didn't even exist when our town was making Studebakers back
in the '60s. The word ‘again’ was not part of our vision. The message from the start was, ‘The Studebaker plant isn’t coming back, but we are, and
here’s how.’ ” [NPR, 1/31/19]
• Buttigieg brought new jobs to South Bend by transforming factories into tech centers. [CBS News 07.18.17]
• Buttigieg introduced new overtime rules and raised the minimum wage for city workers from $8.20 to $10.10. [WSBT [01.03.17]
Education
• During Buttigieg’s second term he pushed for citywide early childhood education in South Bend. [Politico, 2/16/18]
Gun Safety
• As mayor, Buttigieg supported a proposal to broaden federal background checks on gun buyers. [WNDU, 4/18/13]
10ON THE ISSUES
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D)
Foreign Affairs
• Buttigieg has called for a “new liberal internationalism that is neither isolationist or overly muscular.” [AP News, 12/20/18]
• While he lacks the typical sort of foreign policy experience that presidential candidates traditionally possess, in 2009 and 2013, Buttigieg
was commissioned as a Navy intelligence officer while serving as mayor. He took a leave of absence to serve in Afghanistan in 2014 for
a seven-month deployment and earned the Joint Service Commendation Medal for his counterterrorism work. Buttigieg has highlighted
his service as a fresh perspective on foreign policy. [ABC News, 1/31/19]
Climate and Environment
• Buttigieg has described climate change as a “time bomb” for the millennial generation – of which he is a part – to deal with and he has
spoken favorably about the possibility of a Green New Deal. [NBC News, 1/23/19]
• Buttigieg has criticized the Trump Administration’s positions on climate issues and has expressed support for the Paris Agreement.
[Ecosystem Marketplace, 1/25/19]
Health Care
• Buttigieg has said that a single-payer health care system is “the right place for us to head as a country,” while saying a “Medicare for all”
program doesn’t necessarily require doing away with private insurance. “If the framework we’re using is Medicare, a lot of people who
have Medicare also have Medicare supplements,” Buttigieg said. “So if we want to make Medicare available to everybody, whether it’s as
a public option to buy in or simply establishing that as how the payer structure works in this country, that’s going to be the center of
gravity.” According to Buttigieg, “We need to make sure that every American is able to get health care.” [Politico, 2/3/19]
• Buttigieg believes in paid family leave. [CBS News 07.18.17]
11FMR. SECRETARY JULIÁN CASTRO (D)
Fmr. HUD Secretary Julián Castro (D)
Relevant Experience
Candidate Overview
• Declared his run for president on January 12, 2019. • US Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD): Secretary of Housing and
• Made his presidential announcement from San Antonio in Spanish and English to Urban Development (2014-2017)
resonate with Latinos at a time when many have felt under attack in the Trump era. • City of San Antonio, TX: Mayor (2009-2014)
• Former mayor of San Antonio and HUD Secretary under President Barack Obama. Age: 37 years-old
• Championed social justice issues – including affirmative action – during his political Website: https://www.julianforthefuture.com/
career.
Book: An Unlikely Journey: Waking Up from My
• Opted out of challenging Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) for the Senate in the 2018 midterm American Dream
elections.
Slogan: “Julián for the future”
• Presidential platform advocates for universal pre-kindergarten, “Medicare for all” and
immigration reform.
Sources: New York Times, CNN, CBS News, NPR
“I’m running for president because it’s time for new leadership. Because it’s time for new energy.” 13
–Campaign launch speechON THE ISSUES
Fmr. HUD Sec. Julián Castro (D)
Criminal Justice
• Castro has stated that the US criminal justice system is racist and that too many people of color have negative interactions with police. [Inside Sources,
1/16/19]
• Castro has discussed changing the nation’s bail system so that low-income Americans are not forced to sit in jail for being accused of a crime while
the wealthy avoid incarceration. [KUT, 1/14/19]
Economy and Jobs
• Castro supports a higher minimum wage but has not advocated for a $15 hourly minimum wage.
• Castro agreed with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) that tax rates on some of the wealthiest Americans should be greatly
increased. He has also floated higher corporate tax rates in order to fund his marquee policies like Medicare for All and universal pre-
kindergarten. [Washington Examiner]
Education
• As mayor of San Antonio, Castro convinced voters to raise taxes by one-eighth of a cent to create the city’s pre-kindergarten program
for four year-olds. As a result, more than 22,000 children are set to benefit from the program over eight years. [Politico, 9/17/17]
• Castro supports universal pre-kindergarten and would like to make the first two years of higher education more affordable. He has
even called for tuition-free public college but has yet to offer specifics on his plans. [CNBC, 2/6/19]
14ON THE ISSUES
Fmr. HUD Sec. Julián Castro (D)
Environment and Climate Change
• Castro has criticized President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. In his presidential announcement speech, Castro said
that his first executive order would be to re-enter the Paris Agreement. [Grist, 1/17/19]
• Across his record in public office, Castro has tried to convince businesses to voluntarily increase their reliance on renewable energy with some
success. As mayor of San Antonio, the local utility committed to close a coal plant and embraced a 20 percent renewables goal. [PBS, 1/12/19]
• It is unclear whether Castro supports a carbon tax or a “cap and trade” policy to reduce carbon emissions. Castro has said the government
should “say no to subsidizing big oil.” Still, Castro has not gone as far on the campaign trail as fellow 2020 candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-
MA) who pledged not to accept donations from oil, gas and coal industries. [CNBC, 2/6/19]
Foreign Affairs
• Domestic, rather than foreign, policy has been Castro’s passion. He has not made a habit of weighing in on Middle East policy, arms-control
agreements or trade deals. He all but ignored foreign policy in his presidential announcement speech. [Council on Foreign Relations, 2/5/19]
• Castro does not like President Trump’s America First policy. [Council on Foreign Relations, 2/5/19]
• Generally, Castro has stated that he is “not a big fan of the commitments America has made, over these last 15 years, whether it was the Iraq War
or this [Syria] commitment,” calling instead for exercising “soft power, and not necessarily our military power.” [Council on Foreign Relations, 2/5/19]
Gun Safety
• As a longtime advocate for gun control, Castro has pushed for renewing the assault weapons ban, limiting high-capacity magazines and
requiring background checks at gun shows. He does not support the elimination of the right to bear arms; he just thinks it should be
regulated appropriately. [PBS, 1/12/19]
15ON THE ISSUES
Fmr. HUD Sec. Julián Castro (D)
Health Care
• Castro has called for universal health care, supporting the Medicare for All Act. He indicated that he would consider paying for such a system by
raising taxes on corporations and on the wealthiest 0.05, 0.5 or one percent of Americans. [The Hill, 1/8/19]
• Castro also implemented several public health initiatives during his time in government. San Antonio's obesity rate fell below the state average
under his leadership as mayor. As HUD Secretary, Castro banned smoking in public housing. [PBS, 1/12/19]
Housing and Poverty
• As President Obama’s HUD Secretary, Castro put into practice the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule, part of the 1968 Fair Housing Act
that requires cities that receive federal money for housing to examine any potential barriers of biases in housing opportunities. In 2016, HUD
launched the National Housing Trust Fund, which provided $173 million in grants to create affordable housing. Castro also led HUD in reducing
annual mortgage insurance premiums in 2017 by about a quarter of a percent, saving homeowners $500 on average each year. Castro also
spearheaded HUD’s Connect Home initiative, which provided internet access and connected devices to residents of HUD-assisted housing in 28
cities. [CNBC, 2/6/19]
• In his exit memo from the agency, Castro touted how HUD had stabilized the housing market and preserved affordable housing through public-
private partnerships. [CBS News 01.12.19]
• As San Antonio’s mayor, Castro launched “Decade of Downtown,” an initiative to revitalize San Antonio’s city center that led to $350 million of
private-sector investment in housing alone. [CNBC, 2/6/19]
Immigration
• Castro supports comprehensive immigration reform, including a path to citizenship for most of the estimated 11 million undocumented people in the
United States. [Washington Post, 1/13/19]
• Castro opposes President Trump’s border wall plan and has proposed securing the border by using technology and developing a more efficient legal
immigration process. When asked if he thinks that ICE should be abolished, Castro said that he thinks the agency needs to change its culture and should
be “reconstituted.” [PBS, 1/12/19]
16FMR. REP. JOHN DELANEY (D-MD)
Fmr. Rep. John Delaney (D-MD)
Relevant Experience
Candidate Overview • United States House of Representatives:
• Declared his run for president on January 28, 2017 – the first Democrat to declare.
Representative from MD-06 (2013-2019)
• Founder of CapitalSource and Health Care
• Viewed as a long-shot candidate though he is running an aggressive campaign and has
Financial Partners
visited every county in Iowa.
Age: 55 years-old
• Millionaire former congressman who was elected to the US House of
Representatives in 2012 as, in his own words, a “pragmatic idealist.”
Website: https://www.johnkdelaney.com
• Calling for campaign finance reform though he could spend millions of his own
Book: The Right Answer: How We Can Unify Our
money on a presidential race. Divided Nation
• Wants more gun restrictions and an end to gerrymandering despite benefiting from
it himself.
• Pitched himself as a bipartisan problem-solver but has also endorsed liberal causes
like universal health care.
Sources: New York Times, CNN, CBS News, NPR
“I think I’m the right person for the job, but not enough people knew who
I was or still know who I am.” –Iowa Democratic Wing Ding speech 18ON THE ISSUES
Fmr. Rep. John Delaney (D-MD)
Criminal Justice
• Delaney has received a 100 percent rating from Americans for Safe Access, an organization advocating for the legalization of cannabis.
[Project Vote Smart]
• Delaney believes it's time to reform the broken immigration and criminal justice systems. [CNBC 12.26.18]
Economy and Jobs
• At the top of Delaney’s list of priorities, both as a congressman and presidential candidate, is investment in infrastructure. A year ago, he
wrote a letter urging Trump to raise the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 23 percent in order to fund a $200 billion
infrastructure package. [CNBC 01.08.18]
• While in Congress, Delaney was one of a few Democrats who supported TPP and he is interested in revisiting the trade deal if elected
in 2020. [PBS 02.04.19]
• Delaney supports simplifying the tax code. [Delaney Campaign website Accessed 02.07.19]
• He has pushed the idea of investing $1 trillion in rebuilding America’s infrastructure. [Delaney Campaign website Accessed 02.07.19]
• Delaney has advocated cutting red tape for small businesses and entrepreneurs. [Delaney Campaign website Accessed 02.07.19]
19ON THE ISSUES
Fmr. Rep. John Delaney (D-MD)
Environment and Climate Change
• Delaney plans to address climate change by implementing a carbon tax. [Delaney Campaign website Accessed 02.07.19]
• He will develop a "national energy policy focused on two goals: 1) becoming a global leader in domestic energy production and
alternative energy technology; and 2) properly responding to climate change.” [Congressional Office of John Delaney. Accessed 09.07.17]
• He was a member of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition.
Foreign Affairs
• Delaney believes in supporting the military with the resources it needs, with a focus on technological capabilities. [Delaney Campaign website Accessed
02.07.19]
• He thinks the US should harden its domestic infrastructure, technology and elections system against terrorism and foreign interference. [Delaney Campaign
website Accessed 02.07.19]
• He advocates strengthening existing and building new global alliances for peace, prosperity and security. [Delaney Campaign website Accessed 02.07.19]
• Delaney hopes to bolster humanitarian, human rights and pandemic response capabilities. [Delaney Campaign website Accessed 02.07.19]
• Delaney has promoted advancing global arms control and non-proliferation agreements in nuclear, chemical and cyber warfare. [Delaney Campaign website
Accessed 02.07.19]
Gun Safety
• "This is not about taking guns away from law-abiding citizens and I believe that it is important to protect the Second Amendment. The
President [Obama] is proposing practical actions that will help law enforcement administer our existing laws, allow further research into the
causes of violence, and provide grants to local authorities to help make our schools and streets safer. We also need to find ways to expand
access to mental health care to ensure those who are suffering from mental illness receive proper care and treatment." [Delaney.house.gov]
20ON THE ISSUES
Fmr. Rep. John Delaney (D-MD)
Health Care
• Delaney envisions creating a government health care program for all Americans under the age of 65, after which they could enroll in
Medicare. [PBS 02.04.19]
• Delaney opposes Medicare for All saying that Medicare works and should be left alone. [PBS 02.04.19]
• In Congress, he was a vocal supporter of the Affordable Care Act and was open to adding a public option, as well as expanding
Medicare for people over the age of 55. [PBS 02.04.19]
Housing and Poverty
• Delaney supports incentivizing private sector investment in financially depressed communities, requiring a significant percentage of
government contracts to go to hard-hit communities. [Delaney Campaign website Accessed 02.07.19]
• He has proposed launching a $500 billion national affordable housing program. [Delaney Campaign website Accessed 02.07.19]
Immigration
• Delaney supports comprehensive immigration reform. [Delaney Campaign website Accessed 02.07.19]
• As a congressman, he co-sponsored the DREAM Act in 2017 which would have provided a path to citizenship for so-called “Dreamers,”
young undocumented immigrants brought to the country illegally as children. [Dream Act]
Education
• Delaney wants to provide universal pre-kindergarten, free community college/career and technical training nationwide. [Delaney Campaign
website Accessed 02.07.19]
21REP. TULSI GABBARD (D-HI)
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Candidate Overview Relevant Experience
• Declared her run for president on January 11, 2019. • United States House of Representatives:
Representative from HI-02 (2013-Present)
• Served in the Army National Guard and was twice deployed to the Middle East – • Honolulu City Council Member (2010-2013)
once while in the Hawaii State Legislature in 2004. • Healthy Hawai’i Coalition: Vice President (2000-
2012)
• Running as an anti-war Democrat who has voiced opposition to American military • Hawaii Army National Guard (2003-Present)
intervention overseas, including in countries like Syria.
Age: 37 years-old
• Drew condemnation for meeting with Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad.
Website: https://www.tulsi2020.com/
• Supported Sen. Sanders in the 2016 presidential primaries.
Slogan: “For The Country We Love”
• Apologized for her history of anti-gay statements and her past work for an anti-gay
advocacy group.
Sources: New York Times, CNN, CBS News, NPR
“There are a lot of challenges that are facing the American people that I’m concerned
about and that I want to help solve.” -CNN interview announcing her candidacy 23ON THE ISSUES
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Foreign Affairs
• Gabbard believes the US should be less involved in foreign conflicts and have a smaller troop presence in many places around the world. She
has specifically called on the US military to pull out of Afghanistan, arguing that American troops completed their mission and should allow the country
to chart its own course. Gabbard also opposes US military presence and action in Syria. [PBS 01.14.19]
• Gabbard believes Saudi Arabia is a hub of anti-Western extremism. [Twitter 5.21.17]
• Gabbard has embraced the use of the phrase “radical Islam” a phrase many have been critical of claiming that it indicts the entire Islamic faith. Gabbard
has said she is mindful that most Muslims are not extremists, but joined Republicans in criticizing Sec. Clinton and President Obama for not employing
the phrase, stating: “It’s important that you identify your enemy.” [The Guardian 08.10.19]
• Gabbard introduced the Stop Arming Terrorist Act (H.R. 608) which would stop the US government from using taxpayer dollars to directly or indirectly
support groups who are allied with and supporting terrorist groups. [Congress.Gov Accessed 02.10.19]
Economy and Jobs
• Gabbard is an original cosponsor of the Raise the Wage Act, which would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2024 and index the minimum
wage to the median wage growth thereafter. [Tulsi Gabbard Website Accessed 2.11.19]
• Gabbard is a cosponsor of legislation such as the Return to Prudent Banking Act and the 21st Century Glass-Steagall Act. She believes the act will
“help protect Americans from the risky behaviors of investors on Wall Street.” “She has urged criminal investigations of big bank executives who take
money from American taxpayers.” [Tulsi Gabbard Website Accessed 2.11.19]
• Gabbard supports providing tax credits for businesses that hire workers who have been unemployed for more than six months; eliminating redundant
and unnecessary bureaucracy and regulations that make it hard for entrepreneurs and small businesses to start and succeed; and, ending tax breaks
for corporations that outsource jobs overseas. [Tulsi Gabbard Website Accessed 2.11.19]
• Gabbard has co-sponsored bills that raise the cap on outstanding loans, guarantees and insurance of the Export-Import Bank of the United States,
ensuring banks provide technical assistance to small businesses on how to apply for financial assistance [Tulsi Gabbard Website Accessed 2.11.19]
24ON THE ISSUES
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Education
• Gabbard backs Sen. Sanders’ proposal to cut or eliminate higher education tuition for most Americans. She has proposed making
community college tuition-free for all Americans and four-year public colleges tuition-free for students whose families make $125,000 or
less per year. The plan would pay for that tuition by imposing a new tax on stock and bond trades. [PBS, 1/14/19]
Environment and Climate Change
• Gabbard’s OFF Fuels for a Better Future Act would mandate a dramatic move away from fossil fuels. The plan would require electric
utilities to use 80 percent renewable resources by 2027 and 100 percent by 2035. In addition, it would set similar goals for car
emissions, mandating zero emissions by 2050. Finally, it would end all subsidies and tax breaks for fossil fuels and ban fracking. [PBS,
1/14/19]
Criminal Justice
• Gabbard supports reforms to a “broken criminal justice system that favors the rich and powerful and punishes the poor.” She has argued that “people
should not be put in prison for smoking marijuana while major corporations responsible for the opioid crisis are walking away scot-free.” [Medium
02.04.19]
Gun Safety
• Gabbard has co-sponsored bills that would ban assault weapons and require background checks for all gun purchases, including closing what
is known as the “gun-show loophole.” [PBS, 1/14/19]
25ON THE ISSUES
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Health Care
• Gabbard co-sponsored the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act, which would pay for health care by increasing taxes on the
wealthiest five percent of Americans, create a progressive excise tax on payroll and self-employment, tax unearned income and tax
stock and bond transactions. [PBS, 1/14/19]
Housing and Poverty
• Gabbard has advocated for more affordable housing units through public and private projects, discouraging housing and land speculation
and ensuring "affordable" housing units are actually affordable. [Civil beat 07.11.16]
• Gabbard supports actions to protect vulnerable populations by streamlining many of the regulations that burden families across the country.
She wants to increase flexibility to empower state and local housing agencies, as well as private owners/developers, to develop new housing
units and create new housing options in areas where housing vouchers are difficult to use. [Tulsi Gabbard Website Accessed 2.11.19]
Immigration
• Gabbard supported the Dream Act but has emphasized there is still more work to do. [Twitter 11.07.17]
• She has proposed changing visa requirements. [Independent Voter Network 05.24.17]
• In 2015, Gabbard was among a minority of Democrats who voted for additional restrictions on refugees entering the US from Syria and Iraq.
[The Guardian, 11/20/15]
• Gabbard has spoken out against the Trump Administration’s travel/refugee ban and his decision to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
(DACA). [The Guardian, 9/10/18]
26SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND (D-NY)
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Relevant Experience
• United States Senate: Senator from NY (2009-
Candidate Overview Present)
• Declared her run for president on January 15, 2019. • United States House of Representatives:
Representative from NY-20 (2007-2009)
• Long placed women’s equality and opportunity at the center of her policy agenda.
Age: 52 years-old
• Considered one of the Senate's foremost champions of working-mom issues; she
had her second son while in Congress in 2008. Website: https://kirstengillibrand.com/
• Called on the military to reform its sexual violence policies and was out in front Book: Off the Sidelines: Speak Up, Be Fearless, and
calling on former Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) to resign after he was accused of Change Your World
inappropriate sexual conduct.
• Once a congresswoman from a conservative US congressional district with policy
positions to match, but has transformed into a progressive champion becoming one
of the Senate’s leading liberal voices.
• Not accepting donations from corporate PACs or federal lobbyists.
Sources: New York Times, CNN, CBS News, NPR
“I’m going to run for president of the United States because as a young mom I am going to fight for
28
other people’s kids as hard as I would fight for my own.” –Colbert Show announcing her candidacyON THE ISSUES
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Foreign Affairs
• For years, Gillibrand has pushed for US withdrawal from Afghanistan. She has opposed efforts to arm Syrian rebels and she slammed the airstrikes
ordered against Syria in the spring of 2018, saying that President Trump did not have the authority to order the strikes. Gillibrand also argued that
President Obama did not have authority to send US troops to Syria in the first place. [HuffPost, 3/15/11]
• Gillibrand co-sponsored legislation that would end US support for the Saudi-led conflict in Yemen. She has written that Saudi Arabia is using American
weapons to “terrorize Yemeni civilians.” In regard to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Gillibrand wrote that the US should hold the Saudi
government accountable. It is not clear where she stands on whether Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman was responsible for the killing. [PBS
01.18.19]
• Following the tragedies of 9/11, Gillibrand fought for robust and state-of-the art counterterrorism funding and tools, and national security grant funding
to secure vulnerable cities and infrastructure. [CBS2Iowa 01.23.19]
Economy and Jobs
• Gillibrand has focused on ensuring workers can fill good-paying jobs by closing the skills gap in partnership with employers and educators.
[CBS2Iowa 01.23.19]
• She has passed key legislation to ensure the US is investing in small businesses and promoting American manufacturers. [CBS2Iowa 01.23.19]
• Gillibrand supports a government-backed jobs guarantee, creating floors for wages and benefits and expanding the right to collectively bargain.
[The Nation, 3/20/19]
29ON THE ISSUES
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Education
• Gillibrand has pushed for universal pre-kindergarten and affordable, high-quality day care.
• Gillibrand has fought to tackle the burden of student loan debt, and she supports affordable college for all Americans. In the past, she
co-sponsored a bill that would offer federal matching funds to states helping students pay for public colleges without taking on debt.
[S.2598 – Debt-Free College Act of 2018]
• Gillibrand wants to help create a better path to college for low-income students by improving public schools in disadvantaged
communities, starting more job-training programs and creating tax deductions to lower the cost of tuition. [Kirsten Gillibrand Website
Accessed 2.11.19]
• Gillibrand has encouraged more workplaces to have in-house child care services and, if elected, would fight to offer tax credits to
companies that have child care on site to help people remain in the workforce and advance their careers while caring for their children.
[Kirsten Gillibrand Website Accessed 2.11.19]
Environment and Climate Change
• Gillibrand showed early support for and co-sponsored the Green New Deal. [The Hill 02.10.19]
• She hopes to create a "cap-and-trade" commodity market for carbon emissions and ban new drilling on federal lands. [Wall Street Journal,
10/21/09]
Criminal Justice
• Gillibrand supported the First Step Act but does not believe it went far enough. She called on Congress to address what she says is the
“discriminatory cash-bail system.” [Kirsten Gillibrand Website Accessed 2.11.19]
30ON THE ISSUES
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Health Care
• Gillibrand supports moving to a universal, government-run health care system within four years, and was a cosponsor of the Medicare
for All Act. [PBS 01.18.19]
• Gillibrand has also proposed expanding the Basic Health Program, part of the Affordable Care Act, so that states can offer lower-priced
health insurance to more people. [Adirondack Daily Enterprise, 2/10/19]
• Throughout her career, Gillibrand has led the fight to lower the cost of health care, and she has taken on big drug and pharmaceutical
companies to lower the cost of prescription drugs. [Glamour, 2/1/19]
Housing and Poverty
• Gillibrand has endorsed Sen. Booker’s (D-NJ) Federal Jobs Guarantee Development Act of 2018, Sen. Kamala Harris’ (D-CA) Rent Relief Act
and Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Sherrod Brown’s (D-OH) American Family Act of 2017 which would establish a child allowance with the
aim of reducing poverty and defraying the costs of raising the next generation. [VOX 01.30.19]
Immigration
• Gillibrand plans to eliminate and “reimagine” ICE, separating immigration issues from criminal justice. [Post Star, 9/12/18]
• Early in her political career, Gillibrand took a more hard line stance on immigration issues but has moved further left on the issue during her
time in the Senate, even co-sponsoring the Dream Act. [CNN 01.31.19]
Gun Safety
• Gillibrand has an “F” rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA) and has consistently worked to pass common sense gun safety
measures, such as an anti-trafficking bill, universal background checks and legislation to close gun loopholes. [CBS Iowa 01.23.19]
31SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA)
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Relevant Experience
Candidate Overview • United States Senate: Senator from CA (2017-
• Declared her run for president on January 21, 2019. Present)
• State of California: Attorney General (2011-2017)
• Launched her campaign with the slogan “For the People” – a populist refrain • City and County of San Francisco, CA: District
alluding to her time in the courtroom. Attorney (2004-2011)
• Only the second African American woman to serve in the Senate and one of Age: 55 years-old
only a few new Democrats to join the Senate in 2016.
Website: https://kamalaharris.org/
• Gained recognition for her sharp questioning of Trump Administration officials
and nominees during Senate hearings. Book: The Truths We Hold: An American Journey
• Some on the left question what they view as a mixed record on social justice Slogan: “For the People”
during her time as a prosecutor.
• Unveiled middle-class tax cut legislation last fall and has championed a liberal
civil-rights agenda in the Senate.
Sources: New York Times, CNN, CBS News, NPR
"We are here because the American Dream and our American democracy are under attack and on the line like
never before” –Campaign launch speech 33ON THE ISSUES
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Housing and Poverty
• Harris has introduced the Rent Relief Act, a bill to address housing affordability. The Rent Relief Act ($93 billion a year) would offer a
refundable tax credit to people making $100,000 or less per year and spending at least 30 percent of their income on rent. [VOX 01.30.19]
• Harris proposed a bill called the Livable Incomes for Families Today (LIFT) the Middle Class Act with the intended goal of increasing the
after-tax income of families to help address the rising cost of living. LIFT would create a new $6,000 tax credit for families earning up to
$100,000. [Politico.com10.18.18]
Economy and Jobs
• Harris has advocated for raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour to combat income inequality. [Fox Business 01.21.19]
• Harris advocated funding for workforce training programs to equip workers with the skills to succeed in the workforce of tomorrow.
[Fox Business 01.21.19]
• Harris opposed TPP and opposes Trump Administration tariffs and trade policy. [LA Times 10.14.16]
34ON THE ISSUES
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Education
• Harris would enact the College for All Act proposed by Sen. Sanders which would create a government funding program that would
pay for tuition and fees at public colleges and universities for students with incomes of $125,000 a year or less. This would be funded by
a fee on Wall Street firms of 0.5 percent per stock trade. [Medium 04.03.2017]
• Harris advocated for making pre-K access universal and making college debt-free. [Campaign Launch Speech 01.27.19]
Environment and Climate Change
• Harris supports the Green New Deal. [Washington Post 01.29.19]
Criminal Justice
• Harris stated at her campaign launch event in Oakland, CA, "I'm running to fight for an America where no mother or father has to teach their young
son that people may stop him, arrest him, chase him or kill him because of his race,”[…] "Our criminal justice system needs drastic repair. Let's speak
that truth.” [Campaign Launch Speech 01.27.19]
• Harris has said, “instead of a justice system that responds to all crime as equal, we need a “smart on crime” approach – one that applies innovative,
data-driven methods to make our system more efficient and effective.” [Archived Kamalaharris.org Accessed 02.06.19]
• Harris believes the US should legalize marijuana but also thinks more research needs to be done on its impact on developing brains. [105.1 FM 2.11.19]
Gun Safety
• A self-described “good marksman,” Harris is also a vocal supporter of increased gun control. [Politico 10.12.15]
• She co-sponsored a bill to ban assault weapons and the sale of high-capacity magazines, defined as those which can fire more than ten
rounds without reloading. [PBS 01.21.19]
35ON THE ISSUES
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Health Care
• Harris supports a Medicare for All plan and says that it would mean eliminating private insurance. [Washington Post 01.29.19]
• Harris Introduced the Maternal CARE Act aimed at reducing racial disparities in maternal mortality. [PBS 01.21.19]
• Harris introduced two bills to expand access to mental health services, the Mental Health Telemedicine Expansion Act and the Mental
Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act. [Sen. Harris Congressional Website Accessed 02.04.19]
Foreign Affairs
• In 2018, Harris joined other Democratic senators in signing a letter to President Trump saying he did not have the authority to order a pre-emptive
strike against North Korea without permission from Congress. [The Hill 02.05.18]
• She has stressed the importance of the US-Israeli partnership. [The Intercept 03.07.19]
• Harris wants a “political solution” to end the war in Afghanistan and to bring home the troops. [SF Chronicle 12.18.19]
Immigration
• Harris has been called by many“the most outspoken ally of immigration activists on the Hill,” strongly opposing President Trump’s border wall
proposals. [VOX, 11.1.17]
• She has vehemently supported DREAMers and the DACA program. In 2017, she said she would oppose any end-of-year government
spending bills unless Congress acted to protect young people affected by DACA. [VOX, 11.1.17]
• Regarding ICE, Harris believes it’s time to “reexamine” the agency and “probably think about starting from scratch.” She has not joined other
Democrats — including 2020 rivals Sens. Warren and Gillibrand — in explicitly calling for ICE to be abolished. [San Francisco Chronicle, 6.25.2018]
36SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN)
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Candidate Overview Relevant Experience
• Declared her run for president on February 9, 2019.
• United States Senate: Senator from MN (2007-
Present)
• Frames herself as a symbol of Midwestern grit – announcing her run for president in
• Hennepin County; Attorney
the middle of a snowstorm.
• Won reelection in 2018 by 24 points in a purple sate. Age: 58 years-old
Website: https://www.amyklobuchar.com/
• Introduced more bills than any other Senate Democrat and had more bipartisan
cosponsors on bills than any other Democrat in the 115th Congress; 24 of these bills
were signed into law by President Trump. Book: :The Senator Next Door: A Memoir from
the Heartland
• Supporters tout her appeal among rural voters and her calm demeanor which
provides a clear contrast with President Trump. Slogan: “Let’s Get to Work”
• Championed legislation to combat the opioid crisis and drug addiction, is a consumer
protections advocate, and has addressed the cost of prescription drugs during her
tenure in the Senate.
• Not accepting donations from super PACs or federal lobbyists. Sources: New York Times, CNN, CBS News, NPR
“I have grit, I have family, I have friends, and I have all of you. All of you who are
38
willing to stand up and say that people matter.” -Campaign website letterON THE ISSUES
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Criminal Justice
• Klobuchar supported the First Step Act to lower mandatory minimum sentences and provide avenues for prisoners to reduce their
sentences. [Axios, 12.19.18]
• Klobuchar admitted that "there is racism" in the American justice system while defending the many good actors who work to keep
America safe. [NBC News 08.06.18]
Economy and Jobs
• Klobuchar sponsored the Skills Investment Act of 2018 with Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) that would allow people to use tax advantaged savings
accounts to pay for educational expenses like skills training. [VOX, 2.10.19]
• Klobuchar opposed TPP citing concerns about whether the proposed legislation was strong enough for American workers. [Star Tribune 05.13.15]
Gun Safety
• Klobuchar has advocated for common sense gun laws, supporting extending background checks for weapons sold at gun shows and on the
Internet. [VOX, 2.10.19]
• Klobuchar co-sponsored Sen. Diane Feinstein’s (D-CA) Assault Weapons Ban Act of 2019. [Feinstein Senate Website 01.19.19]
Education
• Klobuchar has supported the RED Act, a student loan refinancing proposal. [VOX, 2.10.19]
• Klobuchar has introduced bills to create a new competitive grant program for STEM, with the goal of doubling the number of STEM
secondary schools from about 100 to about 200 nationwide. [Education Week 11.11.18]
• She's authored a bill that would award grants to help districts train teachers, school personnel and other educators on mental health
conditions. [Education Week 11.11.18]
39ON THE ISSUES
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Environment and Climate Change
• Klobuchar wants to meet the goals of the UN panel on climate change: cut greenhouse gases by 45 percent by 2030 and increase
renewable energy by up to 47 percent by 2050. She has not given specifics on how she would achieve those goals, but in 2008, Klobuchar
pushed for a bill to cut emissions 70 percent by the year 2050 via a cap-and-trade market system. [PBS, 2.10.19]
• Klobuchar has expressed that she would also rejoin the Paris Agreement and push to set national guidelines to boost renewable fuel use.
[PBS, 2.10.19]
• Klobuchar has said she would support the Green New Deal. [The Hill, 2.10.19]
Foreign Affairs
• Klobuchar opposed President Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from Syria. Earlier this month, she highlighted her opposition by voting
in favor of bipartisan legislation that rebuked the President's position. At the time of the vote, all the senators who had already announced
they were running in 2020 or had declared their intention to run voted against the bill.
• Klobuchar also introduced the Honest Ads Act with the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) in response to
Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election. The bill requires advertisement buyers and publishers to publicly disclose information
about the ad in order to ensure transparency and accountability. [PBS, 2.10.19]
40ON THE ISSUES
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Health Care
• Klobuchar has not signed on to Sen. Sanders’s Medicare for All Act but does support universal health care and reducing drug prices more
generally. [PBS, 2.10.19]
• She introduced the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2017 to allow Medicare to directly negotiate prices. [Congress.Gov
Accessed 02.12.19]
• Klobuchar also co-authored the Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act of 2019 with Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to speed up the
availability of generic versions of high-cost drugs. [VOX, 2.10.19]
• Klobuchar would like to expand Medicare to include Americans aged 55 and older and possibly more. [PBS, 2.10.19]
Housing and Poverty
• Klobuchar co-sponsored the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act to increase state credit allocation and make several
judgments on the low-income housing tax credit. [CDFA Council Accessed 2.11.19]
• She also co-sponsored the Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Act to establish a demonstration program to encourage
families receiving housing voucher assistance to move to lower-poverty areas. [CDFA Council Accessed 2.11.19]
Immigration
• Under plans that Klobuchar has supported, including the 2013 immigration bill passed by the Senate, most undocumented immigrants would
get a legal status and path to citizenship. She has also said she would increase legal immigration, with a focus on increasing the number of
temporary work visas available. [PBS, 2.10.19]
• Klobuchar would reform ICE but would not completely abolish the agency. [PBS, 2.10.19]
41SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT)
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Relevant Experience
Candidate Overview
• United States Senate: Senator from VT (2007-Present)
• Declared his run for president on February 19, 2019. • United States House of Representatives:
Representative from VT (1991-2006)
• Self-described democratic socialist and was the runner-up in the 2016 Democratic primary.
Age: 77 years-old
• Registered Independent (I) but caucuses with Senate Democrats, allowing him to be
appointed to congressional committees. Website: https://berniesanders.com/
• Regularly insists that Wall Street and billionaires have “rigged” the system such that wealth and Book: Where We Go from Here: Two Years in the
Resistance
income flow to the country’s richest and most powerful people, leading to income inequality.
Slogan: “Not me. Us”
• Boasts one of the most extensive campaign infrastructures; his campaign raised $1 million in
the first three and a half hours after announcing his candidacy.
• Progressive ideas from his 2016 candidacy (i.e. free college tuition, universal health care) have
become more mainstream ideas in the Democratic party.
• Not accepting donations from super PACs or federal lobbyists.
Sources: New York Times, CNN, Washington Post, NPR
“Real change never takes place from the top on down, but always
from the bottom on up.” -Campaign launch video 43ON THE ISSUES
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Foreign Affairs
• A longtime anti-war activist, Sanders voted against the Iraq war resolution in 2002. He regularly called for the US to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and
Iraq. [PBS 02.19.19]
• Sanders would pull US troops from Syria, but said he would do it in a different, less “erratic” way than Trump recently announced. [Huffington Post 01.20.19]
Economy and Jobs
• Sanders has slammed the Republican tax plan passed in December 2017 calling it an unnecessary boon to corporations and the wealthy. Sanders
wants to expand the estate tax through a plan he proposed in January suggesting taxing estates of $3.5 million, with a 77 percent rate on
billionaire estates. [CNBC 02.19.19]
• Sanders introduced legislation that would split up large banks (assets worth more than 3 percent of GDP), into smaller entities. The legislations
would also charge fees for high-risk investment practices, including credit default swaps. [Fortune 10.03.18]
• Sanders has pushed for a $15 per hour minimum wage and urged major companies like Amazon to give its workers raises. He introduced Senate
legislation to hike the federal wage floor in January 2019, calling the current $7.25 an hour a "starvation wage.” [CNBC 02.19.19]
• Sanders unveiled a plan to restrict stock repurchases, which would put conditions on share buybacks. [CNBC 02.04.19]
• Sanders has co-sponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act which would bar employers from retaliating against workers who ask about their wages, as
well as making employers liable to civil litigation. [Washington Post 02.19.19]
Health Care
• In 2017, Sanders introduced a bill to transition to Medicare for All. The proposal is seen as a test of 2020 candidates’ progressive
credentials. [CNBC 02.19.19]
• Sanders co-sponsored legislation to slash drug costs, in part by encouraging imports of cheaper drugs from abroad and giving Medicare
more power to negotiate prices. [CNBC 01.10.19]
44ON THE ISSUES
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Gun Safety
• Sanders would ban assault weapons as well as high-capacity magazines or equipment that allows more than ten rounds to be fired at once. [PBS 02.19.19]
• He supports universal background checks and voted for legislation introduced by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) expanding federal
background checks. [PBS 02.19.19]
• In early 2016, Sanders changed his support for a gun law that protects some gun manufacturers and sellers from civil lawsuits. [PBS 02.19.19]
• As a member of the US House of Representatives, Sanders voted against the pro-gun-control Brady Bill. [PBS 02.19.19]
Housing and Poverty
• During the 2016 presidential campaign, Sanders called for a suite of programs to promote affordable housing, including an investment in
public housing, a hike in the minimum wage to help workers pay rents and a crackdown on predatory lending. [Washington Post 07.19.19]
• Sanders has blamed the housing crisis on the influence of the wealthy and large corporations and has stated that “nobody in America who
works 40 hours a week should be living in poverty.” [www.CommonDreams.org 12.01.18]
Immigration
• Sanders would like to restructure ICE, but has not given details and has not gone so far as to say that he thinks the agency should be
“abolished,” a position some of his 2020 Democratic rivals have taken. [PBS 02.19.19]
• He voted for the 2013 Senate immigration bill that proposed a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. [PBS 02.19.19]
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