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2020 Voter Guide
Who’s running? When do I vote? How can I learn more about candidates? We tackle these questions and more in our 2020 voter guides.
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2020 Guide: Who’s running for president and other essential info for SC voters
Keeping track of 11 contenders vying for the presidency in 2020 can be a daunting task.
To help you, The State has put together a voter guide to help you navigate the packed Democratic presidential primary field and keep up with Republicans campaign in South Carolina, too.
First, the basic questions:
When is the primary?
South Carolinians get their first chance to weigh in on 2020 elections on Feb. 29, the date set for the state’s first-in-the-South Democratic presidential preference primary.
As of January, President Donald Trump has one declared Republican opponent, former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld. The S.C. Republican Party’s executive committee almost unanimously voted in September to skip its 2020 presidential primary election.
Who’s running?
As of January, eleven people are vying for the presidency of the United States: two Republicans, one Libertarian and eight Democrats.
Here’s a little bit you should know about each one, organized in alphabetical order by party.
The Buzz on SC Politics Newsletter
The Democrats
Tracy Glantz/Gavin McIntyre/Gavin McIntyre The State
Joe Biden
Current job: Since leaving the office, the former vice president has focused on creating the Biden Foundation, the Biden Cancer Initiative and several other centers and institutes.
Age on Inauguration Day: 78
Past experience: Most recently, Biden served two terms as vice president under Barack Obama. Before that, he served in the U.S. Senate from 1973 to 2009. During that time, Biden made two attempts at clinching the presidency, once in 1988 and once in 2008. Before his run for Senate, Biden served as a county councilman in New Castle County, Delaware, for two years.
Has he visited South Carolina? Biden started his trips to the Palmetto State in 2018 when he campaigned for then-gubernatorial candidate James Smith. Since then, he has returned for several stops in Sumter, Orangeburg, Charleston, Gaffney, Spartanburg, Rock Hill, Galivants Ferry, North Charleston, Florence, Hartsville, Greenwood and Columbia.
Major policy proposals: Biden has largely campaigned on issues affecting the middle class like income inequality and tax reform, earning him the nickname “Middle Class Joe.” He’s also released education reform bills focused on universal pre-K.
More reading:
Joe Biden tells The State he is the best 2020 candidate to help down ballot SC races
Why black Joe Biden supporters in SC remain loyal, despite his record on race
OPINION: Does Joe Biden have the fire and swagger needed to seek and win the presidency? Oh, yes
Michael Bloomberg
Current job: CEO of Bloomberg L.P.
Age on Inauguration Day: 78
Past Experience: Bloomberg’s most prominent political experience includes serving as the mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013. Though he previously was a life-long Democrat, Bloomberg ran as a Republican during his first race in 2001, but became an independent in 2009.
Has he visited South Carolina? Since launching his campaign, he has not. In late 2018, Bloomberg attended a fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn in Columbia, though.
Major policy proposals: Bloomberg is most outspoken on the issues of gun control and climate change. The former mayor donates large sums of money to Everytown for Gun Safety and advocates for universal background checks, assault weapons bans and more policing of gun trafficking. He has also said he will propose a more “achievable” version of the Green New Deal.
More reading:
Benjamin backs Bloomberg’s 2020 run. What this could signal for the Columbia mayor
Pete Buttigieg
Current job: Mayor of South Bend, Ind., since 2012
Age on Inauguration Day: 39
Past experience: In 2010, Buttigieg made a run for Indiana state treasurer, winning the Democratic nomination but losing to the incumbent. While mayor, Buttigieg served in the U.S. Navy Reserve and deployed to Afghanistan in 2014. Buttigieg also consulted on several political campaigns.
Has he visited South Carolina? Buttigieg has visited Greenville, Columbia, Rock Hill, North Charleston, Orangeburg , North Augusta, Beaufort, Hampton, Pineville, Moncks Corner, Seabrook, Galivants Ferry, Hopkins, Spartanburg, Conway, Allendale, Round O, Okatie, Georgetown, Hartsville and Charleston.
Major policy proposals: In April, Buttigieg faced criticism that he did not have policies on several major issues. Since then, he has made a major speech outlining his foreign policy plan, including ending long-lasting wars and treating climate change as a security threat.
More reading:
Pete Buttigieg sat down with The State. Here’s what he said
How Pete Buttigieg’s time at Columbia’s Fort Jackson has helped shape his candidacy
To black SC voters, Pete Buttigieg says he knows ‘mostly white folks’ attend his events
Tulsi Gabbard
Current job: U.S. representative for Hawaii since 2012.
Age on Inauguration Day: 39
Past experience: Before her election to Congress, Gabbard served on the Honolulu City Council. Gabbard is a combat veteran who served multiple tours in Kuwait and Iraq. Between deployments, she served as a legislative aide to Senator Daniel Akaka from 2006 to 2009. Before deploying, she was a member of the Hawaii state legislature in 2002.
Has she visited South Carolina? Gabbard visited Columbia for U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn’s Fish Fry and has made stops in Charleston, North Charleston and Greenville.
Major policy proposals: Gabbard has advocated for aggressive climate change reforms, including requiring electric utilities to employ mostly renewable energy by 2027. She also is proposing reaching zero emissions by 2050 and completely banning fracking.
Amy Klobuchar
Current job: U.S. senator from Minnesota since 2007
Age on Inauguration Day: 60
Past experience: Prior to her election to the U.S. Senate, Klobuchar served as the Hennepin County attorney, which she was elected to in 1998. She initially ran for the office in 1994 but dropped out of the race. Before, she worked as a corporate lawyer.
Has she visited South Carolina? Klobuchar has visited Columbia, Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Galivants Ferry, Orangeburg and Greenville.
Major policy proposals: Like many of her fellow Democratic hopefuls, Klobuchar is for universal health care and supports expanding Medicare or Medicaid. She also is for changing the Affordable Care Act to accomplish those expansions.
More reading:
Remember Jimmy Carter? 2020 hopeful hints to SC voters that she can win as underdog
Bernie Sanders
Current job: U.S. senator from Vermont since 2007
Age on Inauguration Day: 79
Past experience: Before his election to the U.S. Senate, Sanders served in the U.S. House of Representatives starting in 1991. The Vermont Independent served as mayor of Burlington from 1981 until 1989, even being named one of the best mayors in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. Sanders’ earliest political experiences include running for governor in 1972 and 1976, senator in 1972 and 1974, and attorney general in 1977 under the Liberty Union party.
Has he visited South Carolina? Sanders has visited Columbia, North Charleston, Charleston, Spartanburg, Greenville, Denmark, Florence, Hopkins, West Columbia, Myrtle Beach, Georgetown, Orangeburg and Rock Hill.
Major policy proposals: While he was known for his heavy promotion for eliminating student debt during his 2016 run, Sanders has turned his focus toward expanding Medicare to be available to all Americans. His plan calls for a single-payer system. And yes, he’s still railing against the “millionaires and billionaires.”
More reading:
Bernie Sanders’ SC campaign looks different this time. Is it different enough to win?
Tom Steyer
Current job: Activist and running for president
Age on Inauguration Day: 62
Past Experience: Most recently, Tom Steyer has been behind the helm of the Need to Impeach campaign, aimed at encouraging legal action against President Donald Trump. Steyer spent millions on the ad campaign. In 2013, Steyer founded NextGenAmerica, an environmental advocacy nonprofit and political action committee. The year before, Steyer stepped down from his investment firm Farallon Capital, which he founded in 1986.
Has he visited South Carolina? Steyer has visited Charleston, North Charleston, Georgetown, Rock Hill, Spartanburg, Bluffton, Okatie, Walterboro, Denmark, St. Matthews, Columbia and Greenville
Major policy proposals: Though Steyer has not long been in the race, he has a long history of environmental activism and donating to causes and candidates that support protections against climate change.
More reading:
In SC Tom Steyer spends millions of his own cash to prove he’s more than a billionaire
OPINION: Can activism plus pragmatism equal a Tom Steyer presidency?
Elizabeth Warren
Current job: U.S. senator from Massachusetts since 2012
Age on Inauguration Day: 71
Past experience: Warren was chosen by President Barack Obama in 2010 to help found the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a program she had advocated for for years. In 2008, she was appointed to chair a congressional oversight panel tasked with overseeing the implementation of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. From 2006 to 2010, Warren was a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Advisory Committee on Economic Inclusion. Before that, she was asked to advise the National Bankruptcy Review Commission in 1995. She also served as a professor at Harvard Law School during that time.
Has she visited South Carolina? Warren has visited Columbia, Greenville, Aiken, Rock Hill, Orangeburg, Florence, Charleston and Seabrook.
Major policy proposals: Though Warren’s 2020 pitch is she has a policy proposal for everything, her focus has long rested on economic issues, including antitrust enforcement, wealth inequality, student debt and rent inflation. Specifically, Warren has proposed creating a tax for the 75,000 richest families in the U.S. to pay for things like universal childcare, student loan relief and Medicare for all.
More reading:
Black voters decide the SC Democratic primary. Can Warren reach them in time?
The Republicans
Donald Trump
Current job: President of the United States
Age on Inauguration Day: 74
Past experience: Prior to entering politics, Trump ran his own group of businesses under the umbrella of the Trump Organization, which included real-estate, hotels, casinos and various other ventures. The company was initially founded in 1923 by Trump’s father, and he spent most of his life expanding it. Trump also hosted the reality show The Apprentice from 2003 to 2015.
Has he visited South Carolina? Since launching his re-election campaign June 18, Trump has stopped in South Carolina once, visiting Benedict College in October. During his presidency, Trump visited Conway after Hurricane Florence and campaigned for S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster in Columbia during the incumbent governor’s re-election race in 2018.
Major policy proposals: Though Trump touts a strong economy as one of his achievements, his policy points and rallies often come back to the topic of immigration. The pro-border wall candidate, Trump has called for mass deportation and has continued to separate families at the border.
More reading:
Trump’s re-election campaign picks Nikki Haley, McMaster to help lead 2020 team in SC
Trump met with protest, support at SC historically black college
Trump visit to SC black college ‘inappropriate,’ protesters outside of speech say
Bill Weld
Current job: Running for president
Age on Inauguration Day: 75
Past experience: Before launching his 2020 run, Weld was a member of the Libertarian Party, running on a ticket with Gary Johnson in 2016. Weld campaigned for Mitt Romney during the 2008 presidential race. In 2005, Weld ran for the Governor of New York, but later withdrew from the race. Earlier that year, Weld served as the chief executive of Decker College in Kentucky, overseeing its closure due to bankruptcy. In 1990, Weld ran for governor of Massachusetts, winning, but later resigning the governorship in 1997 to try to push his nomination for U.S. Ambassador to Mexico.
Has he visited South Carolina? No. Because the state canceled its Republican presidential primary, he has prioritized other states higher.
Major policy proposals: Weld’s campaign for president has remained largely quiet, but the former governor was well known for being a fiscal conservative, signing 15 tax cuts while in office. He also advocates for free trade.
More reading:
With no Republican primary, Trump challengers deprioritize South Carolina
The Dropouts
Eric Swalwell: July 8, 2019
Mike Gravel: Aug. 6, 2019
John Hickenlooper: Aug. 15, 2019
Jay Inslee: Aug. 21, 2019
Seth Moulton: Aug. 23, 2019
Kirsten Gillibrand: Aug. 28, 2019
Bill de Blasio: Sept. 20, 2019
Tim Ryan: Oct. 24, 2019
Beto O’Rourke: Nov. 1, 2019
Mark Sanford: Nov. 12, 2019
Wayne Messam: Nov. 20, 2019
Joe Sestak: Dec. 1, 2019
Steve Bullock: Dec. 2, 2019
Kamala Harris: Dec. 3, 2019
Julián Castro: Jan. 2, 2020
Marianne Williamson: Jan. 10, 2020
Cory Booker: Jan. 13, 2020
John Delaney: Jan. 31, 2020
Joe Walsh: Feb. 7, 2020
Andrew Yang: Feb. 11, 2020
Michael Bennet: Feb. 11, 2020
Deval Patrick: Feb. 12, 2020
How can I learn more about these people?
Since South Carolina is the first southern state to vote in a primary, it’s a popular campaigning spot for everyone hoping to become president.
In 2018, candidates — Biden, Booker, Harris and Sanders — were already making moves across the state. By January 2020, all the hopefuls combined had totaled more than 500 stops in the Palmetto State.
Also tune into one of the Democratic primary debates. One will be held in South Carolina just days before the presidential primary. It will be hosted by CBS and the Congressional Black Caucus at Charleston’s Gaillard Center.
We’ve also made a quick guide to where the top-polling candidates stand on some issues here.
*NOTE: The chart is limited to candidates that consistently made it on South Carolina specific polls and were still in the race. The issues were chosen after an analysis of the results of a State Newspaper reader survey.
How are these candidates polling?
You can check out the most recent, South Carolina-specific polls below.
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The Buzz on SC Politics Newsletter
This story was originally published June 26, 2019 2:50 PM.
