It’s never too early to start discussing who the next President will be. Let’s be honest, the minute Trump took the oath of office, people were wondering whether he could win again and what would come after. We here at TeamPurpleMN are no different.
So below is our very early list of potential contenders, which may be updated as more throw their hats in the ring, show interest in running or flat out decide not to. Because the Republicans are the incumbent party in this case, it is assumed Trump will be the nominee, although we do mention some potential competitors for the GOP nod further down the list.
We’ve split this up by various groupings, none of which are indicative of likelihood of winning. These are also not in any particular order, so just because person A is listed before person B, it is not indicative of any ranking.
Our 1Q rankings/groupings can be found here: TeamPurple Rankings
So without further ado…
The “Again” group
This group consists of people who have run for President before. Do not understate the importance of having grassroots organizations already set up on the ground in Iowa and New Hampshire and the fundraising lists that aide repeat candidates.
- Former Vice President Joe Biden
- Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders
The “Progressive Firebrands”
This group consists of those candidates that make the more liberal activists of the party’s hearts go pitter patter. They’ve made names for themselves by taking progressive stances on particular issues and appealing to the liberal base. While they may not have the organization and fundraising structure as previous presidential candidates, they could find it easy to build one.
- Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren
- California Senator Kamala Harris
- Former Texas Representative Beto O’Rourke
- New York Senator Kristen Gillebrand
- New Jersey Senator Cory Booker
The “Money Men”
These are candidates who have oodles of cash to throw around and waste on a Presidential Campaign. Money can help get your message out and garner attention so keep an eye out for them.
Mid Country Diamonds
A common criticism of the Democratic Party is that it is a bi-coastal party, appealing to liberal coastal elites. Below are some mid-country gems who can appeal to groups of voters and catch fire.
Other Current Elected Officials
Having an elected office is a huge perk, particularly if not up for election in 2020, as they can dip their toes in the water of a Presidential run and not have any consequence if they lose or pull out. Plus, their positions make it easy to get attention in the media, highlight issues they want to focus on and impress the body politic.
- Maryland Representative John Delaney
- Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard
- Massachusetts Representative Seth Moulton
- Ohio Representative Tim Ryan
- California Representative Eric Swalwell
- Washington Governor Jay Inslee
Obama Cabinet Officials
Having worked for a previous popular President has a lot of gravitas with party heads, and these candidates can spend a lot more time in Iowa and New Hampshire than those needing to constantly return to their states or to Washington D.C. for votes.
And then there’s…
There are some candidates that are typically outside the box kind of candidates. These are usually done for specific issue advocacy, but it doesn’t mean they can’t find traction. Think Mike Gravel and Pat Buchanan in their respective parties. This time around, they could be disaffected Blue Dog Dems or GOP candidates that are trying to find a lane in the anti-Trump party.
The GOP Contenders
It’s not uncommon for a sitting President to face an insurgent campaign from his own party, although it is rare that such a campaign actually wins. Trump has certainly stepped on some toes within the traditional GOP but the grassroots Republicans love him. Nonetheless, some GOP members are hinting about possible runs.
How’s our list? Have anyone we missed? Let us know! email us at teampurplemn@Gmail.com or leave a note in the comments!
TPMN 