Panic is apparently beginning to set in with establishment Democrats over the state of the 2020 presidential primary, as they worry none of the candidates currently running will be able to defeat President Trump next year.
Adding to their woes, two new candidates are apparently jumping into the fight. Last week, former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick announced his candidacy. The announcement comes as former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is making moves to appear on the primary ballot in some early states as well.
Going into Wednesday’s debate, the established 2020 field has begun taking not-so-subtle shots at the two would-be candidates. And while it is unlikely either individual will come out on top, their entrance could throw off the balance of what is already a nerve-wracking primary process for Democrats.
Catch up on the last week’s biggest developments from the 2020 primary with our latest 2020 Dem recap.
Fmr. Vice President Joe Biden
New Infrastructure Plan: Per Bloomberg, last Thursday Biden “released a $1.3 trillion proposal to make major investments in transportation with the dual goals of modernizing U.S. infrastructure and moving toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.”
Town Hall Disinterest: Biden’s featured town hall last week on CNN delivered 1.15 million viewers to finish third in a cable news race against Fox News and MSNBC.
BIG Endorsement: Biden received the endorsement of former Democratic presidential candidate and Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan.
Sen. Bernie Sanders
4 Million: This week, Sanders’ campaign announced that it has received contributions from 4 million donors.
AOC In The Administration: Sanders told ABC News on Sunday that if he is elected, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) would be given a “very important role” in his administration and could even be tapped for a cabinet-level position.
“Green New Deal For Public Housing”: Last week, Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez also unveiled legislation to invest up to $172 billion over the next decade to drastically upgrade the nation’s 1.2 million public housing units as part of a Green New Deal.
Major Union Endorsement: Last week, Sanders edged out Warren for the support of the pro-single payer National Nurses United, the nation’s largest union of registered nurses.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren
Phasing In Medicare For All: In a tacit acknowledgement that her Medicare for All proposal would be difficult to implement (let alone pass Congress), Warren released a transition plan that would get the country to a single payer system. Warren said that during her first term, she would “pass legislation to offer new Medicare benefits to everyone first and then follow up with legislation to end existing employer plans by her third year in office, once the new system has a foothold.” Following the release of her plan, Bernie Sanders announced he would introduce his Medicare for All bill in the first week of his tenure if he is elected next year.
Blasting Billionaires: In a new ad centered on her wealth tax proposal, Warren took aim at Leon Cooperman, Joe Ricketts, Lloyd Blankfein, and Peter Thiel, four billionaires who have criticized her campaign.
Three Pinocchios: Warren’s aforementioned ad was given “Three Pinocchios” by The Washington Post’s fact checker for misleading how much billionaires would pay under her wealth tax.
Mayor Pete Buttigieg
Iowa Surge: Buttigieg is seeing his poll numbers continue to rise in the Hawkeye state as the Iowa caucuses draw closer. A new CNN/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll of likely Iowa caucusgoers shows Buttigieg climbing to 25%, marking a 16-point increase in support since September. Behind Buttigieg, there is a close three-way battle for second with Warren at 16%, and Biden and Sanders each at 15%.
Sen. Kamala Harris
No Strategy: Harris’ campaign continues to tailspin out of control. Last week, a senior official for the California Senator’s campaign told Politico that her team has “No discipline. No plan. No strategy.” It’s a tough look for Harris, who also saw supporters suggest that she should hang it up last week.