The year 2020 is a big year for politics with the Iowa caucuses in February and the presidential election in November.   There are many candidates out there who are trying to win the hearts of the American voters. Below are the top 6 candidates for the democratic party according to an Iowa caucus poll conducted by Selzer and Co. in January 2020.

Bernie Sanders (20%)

At 78 years old, Bernie Sanders is the oldest candidate in the race. Back in October, he scared supporters when he had a heart attack. Fortunately, the Vermont senator has received a clean bill of health. Some of Sanders views include:

• Criminal Justice: He believes that capital punishment should be abolished and inmates sentenced to death should spend life in prison with no patrol instead of being killed. He also believes that private prisons should be removed.
• Education: Sanders believes that education should be free at all public colleges and universities and that all 1.6 trillion dollars in Student loan debt should be eliminated.

Elizabeth Warren (17%)

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts has taken the campaign trail by storm. The former law professor who was born in Oklahoma City has lots of big plans but has faced controversy on how to pay and implement them. Some of her views include:

• Health Care: Warren believes medicare for all should over services ranging from dental to long term care. She also thinks that the government should have no say in abortion laws, and the decision should be up to the women.
• Immigration: She believes that there should be citizenship for dreamers,  people who were brought to America as children. She also believes there should not be any more spending on the border wall.

Pete Buttigieg (16%)

Born in 1982, Pete Buttigieg is the youngest candidate in the race. If elected he would be the youngest president ever, as well as the first gay president. He was the mayor of South Bend Indiana from 2012 to 2020 and served in the US Navy Reserve officer from 2009 to 2017. Buttigieg views include:

• Elections: He believes that there should not be unlimited spending in politics. He also believes that Felons’ right to vote should be restored after getting out of prison.
• Economy: Buttigieg believes that rent should be subsidized and that more homes should be built for low-income families. He also believes that there should be more options available for people who decide to do skill training over college.

Joe Biden (15%)

 Joe Biden has had a long political career before running for president. He was the US senator from Delaware between 1973 and 2009. He then became Barack Obama’s vice president from 2009 to 2017. Biden’s views include:

• Marijuana: He believes that it should be decriminalized as a federal crime and that states should be allowed to set there own recreational marijuana policies.
• Economy: Biden believes that the minimum wage should rise to $15 an hour. He also believes that Americans should be allowed to have paid leave to take care of sick family members and newborns.

Amy Klobuchar (6%)

Amy Klobuchar has been a midwesterner all her life, being born in Minnesota. She graduated from the University of Chicago law school and was the first woman from Minnesota to be in the U.S. Senate. She served as a senator from 2007 to the present. Some of Klobachars stances on issues including:

• Gun Control: Klobuchar believes that there should be a ban on assault weapons and that there should be universal background checks on everyone who tries to purchase a gun.
• Criminal Justice: She believes that the death penalty should be abolished. She also believes that there should not be a mandatory minimum sentence for nonviolent drug offenses.

Andrew Yang (5%)

Entrapuner Andrew Yang is 44 years old. He founded and is the CEO of Venture for America. His former jobs include being a corporate lawyer and being the CEO of Manhattan Test Prep. Some of Yang’s views include:

• Military: Yang believes that the United States should keep the troops employed. He also believes that the Defense budget should be lowered.
• Education: He believes that college should not be free but instead the college should be limited on how much they raise tuition each year based on how much public funding they receive. He also believes that charter schools should be supported.

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Information Found at https://www.politico.com/2020-election/candidates-views-on-the-issues/

Photos found at Creative Commons