What's Happening: Upcoming 2020 Elections

by COOPER TINSLEY

What happens in the next two years will determine the fate of the United States during our time as college students. On Nov. 3, 2020, millions of Americans will wake up before dawn to rush to their local polling center. There, they will cast their ballot for President of the United States. Donald Trump is likely to run again on the Republican ticket, but who are other potential contestants from across the aisle?

Nothing yet is written in stone, but there are some people who could be a presidential candidate in 2020.

Joe Biden: former U.S Vice President. When asked about his presidential ambitions at an event in London earlier in the year, Biden stated that he thought there were many Democrats that could defeat Trump in 2020 but added, “I’m not one at this point,” saying he is not a candidate at this time. Despite this statement, he is still creating buzz in the political world.

Michael Bloomberg: former Mayor of New York City. “A billionaire Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat again,” Bloomberg stated he might run for president in 2020 as a Democrat.

Three Democratic Senators: Sherrod Brown (male), Cory Booker (male) and Kirsten Gillibrand (female) are definitely people to keep an eye on. Gillibrand stated that watching the Trump-inspired "hatred [and] division" in the nation called her to "fight as hard as [she] possibly can to restore the moral compass of this country."

Pete Buttigieg: Current Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Buttigieg will be running in the Democratic primary. He is 37 and if he becomes president, he will be the first openly gay millennial in the oval office. He stated: "The reality is there's no going back, and there's no such thing as 'again' in the real world. We can't look for greatness in the past… right now our country needs a fresh start."

Howard Schultz: Former Starbucks CEO may be running for president in 2020. When CNN asked about health care, he stated that it is a problem “deeply in my heart.” But when asked if he plans, he said, “I don’t have a plan today. I’m not yet running for President.”

Bernie Sanders: 77-year-old Vermont Senator who was Clinton’s rival in 2020. He stated, “I haven’t made any decisions about anything," but is definitely someone to look out for.

Elizabeth Warren: A Massachusetts Senator, Elizabeth Warren, stated, she would like to "take a hard look at running for president." President Donald Trump also stated, "I hope she's running for president because I think she would be very easy."

Much like the 2016 elections, we have a businessman running. Although, unlike the 2016 elections, we have, in my opinion, a lot more diversity. Yes, I cannot vote, but I do have one piece of advice if you can. Vote not on just a political party, gender, or ethnicity, but on the candidate's character.

For more information on this pressing topic, and some of the candidates, please visit ABC News’s article titled "Who is running for president in 2020? Here's a look at where some potential candidates stand" here.