Looking Back On 2018: Impact On 2020 Election
Events in 2018 will have a significant impact on the 2020 race
By Anaya Truss-Williams
The Progressive Teen Contributor
ON TUESDAY, NOV. 6, 2018, MILLIONS OF AMERICANS VOTED for the House of Representatives, more than 30 Governorships and 33 of 100 seats in the Senate. The 2018 midterm election was a historic and record-setting one. The Democratic Party won control of the U.S. House of Representatives with 235 seats and the Republican Party maintained control of the Senate only through strength in rural and conservative areas. For the next two years, one-party control of all three federal branches will no longer exist.
Many people also believe that the midterm elections served as a referendum on Trump and his first two years in the Oval Office. The Democrats winning the House will impact the dynamic of the Trump administration for the rest of Trump’s presidential term. Democrats now have the power to launch investigations and issue subpoenas meaning they could investigate matters such as accusations of voter suppression in the 2016 elections, fraud and abuse by the White House and other government agencies, and alleged ties between President Trump and Russia.
The top issues for voters were healthcare, the economy, gun policy and immigration. Most Democrats campaigned on expanding access to affordable, quality healthcare, protecting the environment, decreasing government spending and better funding for public schools, in addition to introducing other policies such as tax reform. All of these progressive ideas are reflected in the platforms of party leaders, especially those aiming to win the nomination in 2020.
Looking forward to the 2020 presidential election, several Democrats have already formed exploratory committees. The Democratic field is large and only growing larger; Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Former San Antonio mayor and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Former Rep. John Delaney, South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and entrepreneur Andrew Yang have already announced they are running.
Outside of those who have already officially declared their intent to run, former Vice President Joe Biden and other government figures ranging from governors to former representatives in the House, are all speculated to be considering candidacy.
Among these prospective candidates, Warren, Harris and Gillibrand have been actively marketing themselves for the presidency.
Massachusetts Senator Warren announced that she would form an exploratory committee in December 2018. Warren, a critic of capitalism, is a also a strong advocate for progressive policies. One of the things that Warren wants to focus on is tax reform, specifically, a two percent wealth tax on millionaire households.
New York Senator Gillibrand launched her campaign for the 2020 presidency on Jan. 15, on CBS’ Late Show with Stephen Colbert, declaring that she would file to create an exploratory 2020 committee. Her campaign’s goal is to focus on healthcare access, improving public schools, and job-training programs. Gillibrand endorsed the idea of offering every American a federal job at a living wage, saying that it would be a sound investment in the economy.
Similar to Gillibrand, announcing on a talk show, California Senator Harris announced on ABC’s Good Morning America that she was going to run in the 2020 election. Less than a week after, Harris formally opened her campaign with a rally in her hometown of Oakland, Calif. Like her competition, she wants to expand programs such as Medicare so that more Americans can live comfortably. Harris has even drafted bills to help combat poverty and the growing housing crisis.
The early and hard work of these three senators is well-founded since Trump filed for reelection the day he was inaugurated. According to NBC news, his campaign has already raised more than $100 million and begun airing advertisements as of Oct. 16, 2018. Trump is the only Republican to file for candidacy in the 2020 presidential election thus far.
With the first primary contests a year away, it will be interesting to see which figures work to earn the Democratic nomination for the 2020 presidential election.
