US election 2020: Meet the Democrats running against Trump and the ones who could join the race

The 2020 presidential race is right around the corner, with analysts predicting as many as 40 Democrat candidates may launch bids against Donald Trump for the White House.

Dozens of legislators, billionaire activists and former officials have played coy in recent weeks over whether or not they plan to run for president in 2020. But there are still countless candidates who have reportedly been considering hitting the campaign trail against the Republican incumbent, meeting with top donors and visiting key states over the new year.

As the president eggs on his high-profile political opponents to announce campaigns, saying he “dreams” about facing most of his potential 2020 challengers, here are the Democrats who have so far confirmed their intention to run and several more who could throw their hats into the ring.

Already confirmed

Kirsten Gillibrand

The New York senator walked back denials she was considering a 2020 bid after securing another term during the 2018 midterms, saying shortly after her victory that she “will give it a long, hard thought”.

“I believe it is a moral question for me ... And as I’ve traveled across my state, across this country for all these candidates, I’ve seen the hatred and division that President Trump has put out into our country and it has called me to fight as hard as I possibly can to restore the moral compass of this country,” she said.

“And so I believe right now that every one of us should figure out how we can do whatever we can with our time, with our talents to restore that moral decency, that moral compass, that truth of who we are as Americans, so I will promise you I will give it a long, hard thought of consideration. I will do that.”

She duly announced her candidacy on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on 15 January.

Julian Castro

If anyone had been hinting they were planning a bid, it was this ex-Texas mayor and former secretary of Housing and Urban Development. He recently told MSNBC, “I am very likely to run for president.”

In another interview with Rolling Stone, Mr Castro said “I’ll make a final decision after November, but I’m inclined to do it.”

He has since, unsurprisingly, done so.

Kamala Harris

A California senator and renowned prosecutor, Kamala Harris was introduced to the national stage for many Americans during the Jeff Sessions testimony about his contacts with Russian officials during the 2016 presidential election and is credited in part with the former attorney-general’s recusal from all matters Russia-related.

The first Indian-American senator, she reportedly met with major donors before announcing her presidential bid on 21 January. She would become the first black female president if elected, making her candidacy one to likely garner additional media attention.

John Delaney

The Maryland congressman, who represents the state’s sixth district, was the first major Democrat to launch a bid for 2020.

“I think I’m the right person for the job, but not enough people knew who I was or still know who I am,” Mr Delaney recently told The New York Times in Iowa.

“The way to solve that problem, it seems to me, is to get in early and just work harder than everyone else.”

Pete Buttigieg

The mayor of South Bend, Indiana is the first openly-gay politician to join the 2020 Democratic race for the White House. He was the youngest mayor elected to a US city with over 100,000 residents by the age of 29 and serves as a lieutenant in the Navy Reserve.

Tulsi Gabbard

The US representative from Hawaii and former army medic declared her intention to run on 11 January.

The 37-year-old was quickly beset by controversy, however, after it emerged she had expressed anti-LGBT+ views earlier in her career and met with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, whose removal from power she opposes.

Richard Ojeda

The West Virginia senator and ex-army major was among the first to announce his candidacy.

He proposes to run on a Medicare-for-all, legalise cannabis and government transparency platform.

Elizabeth Warren

The Massachusetts senator has gained national recognition as a major supporter of regulating Wall Street and has tackled head-on some of the biggest potential controversies that threatened to surround her during a 2020 campaign, including questions regarding her Native American heritage.

Ms Warren, who released a video and ancestry report confirming she has distant native ancestry, has become a fierce critic of Mr Trump’s anti-regulatory administration.

Andrew Yang

Among the most interesting names on the list of political outsiders to announce their candidacy is this New York entrepreneur, running on a universal basic income platform.

Mr Yang argues that automation threatens to claim a third of US jobs over the coming years and plans to pay for his initiative to boost American families by taxing Silicon Valley.

Prospective candidates

Joe Biden

The former two-term vice president has consistently received the majority of support among Democratic voters to run in 2020 against any other potential candidates in recent polling. He would likely be a top contender among independent voters and centrist-Republicans who have become disgruntled with the current administration.

He has already begun addressing the issue of his age - at 76, Mr Biden is four years older than Mr Trump - suggesting he’s “the most qualified person” to run against the president in 2020.

“I think I’m the most qualified person in the country to be president. The issues that we face as a country today are the issues that I’ve worked on my whole life - the plight of the middle class and foreign policy,” he said this week in Montana.

“I may be a gaff machine, but my God, what a wonderful thing compared to a guy who can’t tell the truth. No one doubts what I say. The problem is I sometimes say all that I mean.”

Michael Bloomberg

Mr Trump has said he would love to take on the former New York mayor and billionaire entrepreneur Michael Bloomberg, who has recently re-registered as a Democrat and poured millions into the 2018 midterms for Democratic candidates.

If he chooses to launch a presidential bid, which he is reportedly considering, funding his campaign would be an easy feat. However, it remains unclear whether Democrats will accept him with open arms, as many critics have already begun dissecting his controversies as mayor of New York City.

Cory Booker

The New Jersey senator has roused speculation of a 2020 bid with major speeches in recent months, with his latest focusing on criminal justice reform.

“I’m the only US senator that lives in the inner city. I don’t know if any other senator had shootings on their block this year,” he said at one point.

Booker has travelled to states like Iowa and would reportedly seek to develop an “earnest” campaign for the White House if he chooses to run in 2020.

Sherrod Brown

The Ohio senator has reportedly set his sights on 2020 after securing a third-term, saying he is deeply concerned with the president’s rhetoric and divisiveness.

He is credited with having an impressive ability to convey his message and turn out votes among the working class and, as the husband of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Connie Schultz, he has repeatedly addressed his disagreement with the president regarding the “fake news” media.

Robert Casey Jr

After securing a third-term, the Pennsylvania senator has reportedly been “toying” with the idea of a presidential run.

The popular statesman said he has “an obligation to consider” a presidential bid - and teased one in late November 2018: “We’ll see what happens.”

Hillary Clinton

The 2016 Democratic presidential candidate is launching a national tour with her husband, 42nd president Bill Clinton, and has authored a book about her historic 2016 loss, What Happened.

She is reportedly mulling another bid, despite fierce backlash from some corners of the left, calling on her to stand aside.

Eric Holder

The former attorney-general has said he will decide on a presidential run “early next year,” adding in an interview with Stephen Colbert that he’s “interested” in becoming the next president of the United States.

As the head of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, Holder has travelled the country campaigning for Democrats in battleground states ahead of the 2018 midterms.

John Kerry

The former secretary of state has said he’s not ruling out a presidential run, while acknowledging he hasn’t yet placed any groundwork in key states while speaking at Harvard’s John F Kennedy forum last month.

“Am I going to think about it? Yeah, I’m going to think about it,” he added.

Mitch Landrieu

The New Orleans mayor has stirred hopes of a presidential bid in recent weeks, meeting with Barack Obama to discuss the future of the Democratic Party.

Terry McAuliffe

The former Virginia governor has reportedly considered a presidential bid while working to elect Democratic governors during the 2018 midterms.

While travelling through Iowa in September, the politician said he isn’t ruling out a presidential bid.

Chris Murphy

The Connecticut senator has said he isn’t planning on running in 2020, but reports indicate the legislator has been keeping tabs on major donors.

In recent interviews, Mr Murphy has praised Bernie Sanders, decried the Trump administration and admitted he still has to sort out some messaging issues before launching a presidential bid. “I’m not walking the walk,” he recently acknowledged.

Beto O’Rourke

The Texas congressman was introduced to the national stage as a 2016 Texas senatorial candidate against Republican incumbent Ted Cruz. Despite his loss, his viral speeches captured the attention of voters across the country and he has since met with former President Barack Obama while considering a 2020 bid.

Mr O’Rourke has also said he will make a decision in the coming months.

Bernie Sanders

A favourite among progressive voters during the 2016 election, the gentleman from Vermont was bested by Ms Clinton despite some polls at the time indicating he may have been the best bet for the Democratic Party to defeat Mr Trump in the general election.

Now, the 77-year-old has said he will “probably” run again in 2020 - but only “if it turns out that I am the best candidate to beat Donald Trump.”

Eric Swalwell

The California congressman is seen as a widely-popular favourite among Democrats to run for the White House. Despite his young age - 37-years-old - he has garnered national recognition and support while campaigning for Democrats across the country during the 2018 midterms.

The congressman is reportedly planning to launch a bid in the coming months.

Oprah Winfrey

Perhaps the least likely in this list to launch a presidential bid, the TV personality, actress, media mogul and billionaire entrepreneur has become a Democratic darling, testing her political prowess with major speeches and high-profile endorsements, including one for 2018 gubernatorial candidate in Georgia, Stacey Abrams.

Winfrey has batted away speculation a number of times, saying in interviews earlier this year that she was “definitely not running”.