'Things To Worry About': 2020 - The Last National Election?

Prior pages for the mid-term and presidential election cycles (since 2004) are now moot. As the noose tightened around democracy in the United States, it became less and less likely that the next national election would reverse the agenda of the fascists to establish rule by the oligarchs and the corporations. Those prior election pages were never completed, as the news was either too massive or too depressing to get a timely update by this harried activist.

So for this next election cycle, the first task is to develop a new plan of attack. Rather than attempting to keep track of the mob of presidential contenders and the 30-odd races for U.S. Senate and the 435 races for U.S. Congress, plus the handful of key state races, we start afresh – which in January 2019 means adding officially-announced candidates in the 22-month-long race for President and a few selected Congressional seats that merit our attention. Less data, more accurate and timely data, more like a weblog than a detailed status report.
(The race for 2020 begins too damn early, but here we are . . .)

The Republican Party and the A.L.E.C. conspiracy and the anti-democracy billionaires like the Koch Brothers remain the enemy. The fascists currently control the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Senate and the Executive Branch; maybe the Blue Tsunami of 2018 will turn the tide, but if the fascists somehow win back the House, you and I may never be able to vote again. Their plan to destroy America's economy, to take away Constitutional rights (such as voting), and to profit from bribery, treason, and war crimes is documented all over the place.

The fascists must be stopped or democracy will die, America as the beacon of freedom will be extinguished. The battle for freedom on this planet will be over.

There was a meme going around that the 2016 U.S. National Election was not so much about taking/keeping the White House, but about the Supreme Court.
Whoever does win the 2016 election for President can be expected to appoint one or more replacements for aging members of the Supreme Court (same for the 2020 winner),
which could very well have more and longer-lasting consequences than anything else that the President might do while in office.
Contingent, of course, on events leading up to 2020. So, yes indeedy, Emperor Trump has so far been able to appoint two Justices:
the able but wrong-headed Neil Gorsuch and the completely unqualified Brett Kavanaugh.

The nine Justices in order by age (1/2019) are: Ruth Bader Ginsburg [born 1933, age 84]; Stephen G. Breyer [born 1938, age 79]; Clarence Thomas [born 1948, age 69];
Samuel A. Alito [born 1950, age 68]; Sonia Sotomayor [born 1954, age 64]; Chief Justice John G. Roberts [born 1955, age 63]; Elena Kagan [born 1960, age 58];
Brett Kavanaugh [born 1965, age 53]; and Neil Gorsuch [born 1967, age 51]

Progressive Candidates book by Kate Childs Graham

"Why I Run: 35 Progressive Candidates Who Are Changing Politics" [2019] 3/2019

Edited by Kate Childs Graham, Foreword by Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois
contributors include Stacey Abrams of Georgia, Cong. Deb Haaland [NM-01], Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, Pramila Jayapal [WA-07], Andrea Jenkins of Minneapolis, Jason Kander of Missouri, Cong. Barbara Lee [CA-13], and Amy McGrath of Kentucky
Kindle Edition from Abrams Image [3/2019] for $9.99
Abrams Image 9x6 hardcover [3/2019] for $16.50

31 Dec 2018 — Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced her presidential exploratory committee to run for President of the United States in 2020.

12 Jan 2019 — San Antonio, Texas politician Julian Castro announced that he's seeking the Democratic nomination for President in 2020.

15 Jan 2019 — New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand announced an exploratory committee to run for President of the United States in 2020.

February 2019: The Washington Post has again ranked the top 15 Democratic candidates; this ranking agrees with FiveThirtyEight and CNN.
15. former attorney general Eric H. Holder Jr.
14. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe
13. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee
12. former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro of Texas
11. Hillary Clinton: be a surprise if she ran, but she hasn’t slammed the door shut
10. former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
9. New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
8. Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown
7. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar
6. former Congressman Beto O’Rourke of Texas
5. former Vice President Joe Biden
4. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker
3. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren
2. Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders
1. California Sen. Kamala D. Harris

"Among voters ages 18-34, Bernie Sanders has a large lead with 44% of the vote. Joe Biden follows at 11%, Elizabeth Warren has 9%,
and Kamala Harris is tied with Beto O’Rourke with 8% apiece." — Emerson College Polling, 2/2019

Feb 2019 — Senator Bernie Sanders announced that he is running for the Democratic presidential nomination.

6 March 2019 — Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced his decision not to run for the Democratic presidential nomination;
the billionaire publisher plans to focus on supporting renewable energy and backing opposition to Trump.

March 2019 — Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party's 2016 nominee, confirmed that she won't run in 2020.

April 2019: The Democratic National Committee ran an email/online poll
candidates who polled less that 1%: Julián Castro, Marianne Williamson, Kirsten Gillibrand, Eric Swalwell, John Hickenlooper, Tim Ryan, John Delaney, Wayne Messam
#13 Stacey Abrams of Georgia USA: 1.04%
#12 New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker: 1.24%
#11 Washington Gov. Jay Inslee: 1.26%
#10 Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar: 1.33%
#9 Cong. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawai'i: 2.11%
#8 NYC entrepreneur Andrew Yang: 2.72%
#7 former Congressman Beto O'Rourke of Texas: 3.46%
#6 former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel: 6.27%
#5 California Sen. Kamala D. Harris: 6.8%
#4 former Vice President Joe Biden: 7.87%
#3 Mayor Pete Buttigieg of Indiana: 9.71%
#2 Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren: 10.52%
#1 Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders: 42.3%

22 April 2019 — Cong. Seth Moulton [Dem MA-06], a 40-year-old Marine veteran, became the latest Democrat to announce he's running for president in 2020.

25 April 2019 — former Vice President Joe Biden announced that he's running for president in 2020.

30 April 2019: A Quinnipiac University Poll gives former Vice President Joe Biden a 26-point lead over his nearest rival for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination: Biden had the backing of 38 percent of Democrats and voters leaning Democratic who were surveyed; Sen. Elizabeth Warren was second with 12 percent; Sen. Bernie Sanders was a close third with 11 percent. A CNN-SSRS poll gives Biden 39 percent, putting him 24 points ahead of Sanders, who was the only other candidate in the crowded field with support in double digits.

2 May 2019 — Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet [Dem-CO since 2009) announced on C.B.S. that he's running for president in 2020.

13 May 2019 — Montana Gov. Steve Bullock announced that he's running for president in 2020.

13 May 2019 — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that he's running for president in 2020.

June 2019: Independent candidate Howard Schultz announced that he's taking a 'detour' from exploring his 2020 candidacy while recovering from back surgeries.

Twenty contenders for President in 2020 made the cut for the first two-night Democratic debate in Miami, Florida.
The list for each debate was chosen by lots at NBC News in New York City on June 14.
Night One, Wednesday, June 26: Booker, Castro, de Blasio, Delaney, Gabbard, Inslee, Klobuchar, O'Rourke, Tim Ryan, Warren
Night Two, Thursday, June 27: Bennet, Biden, Buttigieg, Gillibrand, Harris, Hickenlooper, Sanders, Swalwell, Williamson, Yang
Candidates who did not get invited are Cong. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, Mayor Wayne Messam of Florida,
former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel, and Navajo candidate Mark Charles.

C.N.N. released its post-debate presidential poll, conducted the following Friday, Saturday, and Sunday:
Joe Biden: 22 percent (lost ten points)
Kamala Harris: 17 percent
Elizabeth Warren: 15 percent
Bernie Sanders: 14 percent
Pete Buttigieg: 4 percent
Cory Booker: 3 percent
Beto O'Rourke: 3 percent
Everybody else had 2 percent or less.

Sen. Bernie Sanders waved off the holiday heat as he participated in five Independence Day parades in 2 days.

Because his presidential bid lacked the polling & fundraising success necessary for him to have a chance,
Cong. Eric Swalwell [Dem CA-15] dropped out on July 8th and instead is running for a fifth House term.

The 2nd quarter fundraising totals for the Democratic presidential candidates are out (July 2019):
Mayor Pete Buttigieg: $24.8 million
Joe Biden: $21.5 million
Sen. Elizabeth Warren: $19.1 million
Sen. Bernie Sanders: $18 million
Sen. Kamala Harris: close to $12 million

Twenty contenders for President in 2020 made the cut for the second two-night Democratic debate in Detroit, Michigan.
The list for each debate was chosen by lots at CNN in New York City on July 18.
Night One, Tuesday, July 30: Bullock {new}, Buttigieg, Delaney, Hickenlooper, Klobuchar, O'Rourke, Ryan, Sanders, Warren, Williamson
Night Two, Wednesday, July 31: Bennet, Biden, Booker, Castro, de Blasio, Gabbard, Gillibrand, Harris, Inslee, Yang
Candidates who did not get invited are Cong. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, Mayor Wayne Messam of Florida, former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel,
and Navajo candidate Mark Charles (Cong. Eric Swalwell dropped out)

Iowa poll released August 15th (after the Iowa State Fair):
Warren 28%, Biden 17%, Sanders 17%, Buttigieg 13%, Harris 8%, Booker 3%, and O'Rourke 3%

25 August 2019 — conservative radio host and former Illinois GOP Congressman Joe Walsh announced that he will challenge President Trump
for the Republican presidential nomination in 2020.

16 September 2019 — Over 20,000 Turn Out For Elizabeth Warren's Anti-Corruption Rally 3 Miles From Trump Tower
http://www.politicususa.com/2019/09/16/massive-crowd-trump-tower-rally-elizabeth-warren-corruption.html

20 September 2019 — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced suspension of his campaign for president in 2020.

Ten contenders for President in 2020 made the cut for the third Democratic debate in Houston, Texas on September 12. The 10 candidates on stage
were Biden, Booker, Buttigieg, Castro, Harris, Klobuchar, O'Rourke, Sanders, Warren, and Yang.

The latest plan for the fourth round of Democratic candidate debates in Westerville (Columbus), Ohio is for 12 candidates on October 15th only.
the 12 major Democratic candidates for President in October 2019

the 12 major Democratic candidates for President in October 2019

October 2019: Candidate Pete Buttigieg took bribes ('campaign contributions') from health insurers and Big Pharma and released ads that lie about Medicare for All.

1 November 2019: Former El Paso Congressman Beto O'Rourke dropped out of the 2020 presidential race; he has ruled out seeking a U.S. Senate seat (for now).

Eight contenders for President in 2020 have made the cut so far for the fifth Democratic debate in Atlanta, Georgia on November 20.
The 8 qualified candidates are Biden, Booker, Buttigieg, Harris, Sanders, Steyer, Warren, and Yang.

8 November 2019: New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg filed for the Democratic presidential primary in Alabama.

22 November 2019: Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced that Congresswomen Deb Haaland (Dem-NM), Katie Porter (Dem-CA), and Ayanna Pressley (Dem-MA) are joining her presidential campaign as co-chairs.

1 December 2019: Contender Joe Sestak dropped out of the 2020 presidential race, based on the lack of national coverage and on polling below 1%.

2 December 2019: Gov. Steve Bullock of Montana dropped out of the 2020 presidential race; he has ruled out seeking a U.S. Senate seat.

3 December 2019: Sen. Kamala Harris dropped out of the 2020 presidential race (her current Senate term ends in 2022).

9 December 2019: Seven candidates have qualified for the December 19th debate stage in Los Angeles: Biden, Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Sanders, Steyer, Warren, and Yang. Three more are partially qualified, above the donor threshold but short on polling stats: Booker, Castro, and Gabbard. Bloomberg is too new and the others are way below that.

12 December 2019: Mike Huckabee said that he is in charge of Donald Trump's re-election campaign for 2024!

December 2019: After the labor union representing food service workers at Loyola-Marymount informed the Democratic candidates last week about a strike with Sodexo, all of the debate participants said that they would boycott the forum to avoid crossing the picket line; Unite Here Local 11 said in a statement on December 17th that it had reached a tentative agreement, including 'a 25 percent increase in compensation and a 50 percent drop in health-care costs'.

2 January 2020: Contender Julián Castro of Texas dropped out of the 2020 presidential race; he never really got any traction.

5 January 2020: New spoiler candidate - Lincoln Chafee, ex-GOP senator and Democratic governor, announced that he is running for president as a Libertarian.

10 January 2020: Spoiler candidate Marianne Williamson officially dropped out of 2020 presidential race.

13 January 2020: Contender Cory Booker of New Jersey dropped out of the 2020 presidential race.

Bernie is my favorite for President in 2016

Bernie is my favorite for President in 2020

Democrat Bernie Sanders of Vermont
Mayor of Burlington 1981-89, U.S. Congress 1991-2006, independent U.S. Senator [since 1/2007]
campaign website • entry at Wikipedia

... And Now Let's Play 'Last Candidate Standing'
The list of Republicans considered as 'in the game' showed 19 individuals in May 2015 thru November 2016, at which point Emperor Trump stole the election with the help of Vladimir Putin and Russian oligarchs and trolls, and the Electoral College. The 2020 race for the Republican nomination is Trump and one other idiot (Republican former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld announced in April); the Democratic Party already has twenty-five announced contenders in May 2019; after two double-evening debates, the field was reduced to 20 active candidates but only twelve spots on the single-evening third debate in September; Tim Ryan & Beto O'Rourke dropped out, and the rules got tougher, so only ten candidates qualified for the Fifth Debate on November 20th. Then Bloomberg opted in, Shestak and Bullock and Harris quit, so as-of December 3rd, there are 15 Democratic candidates in play.
2020 Democratic debate schedule

Stacey Abrams	based in Georgia USA	not running	--	F.F.A.	book	former Georgia House Leader, ran for Governor
Sen. Michael Bennet	based in Colorado	launched May 2019	--	website	book	--
Joe Biden	based in Delaware	launched April 2019	--	website	book	former U.S. Senator & V.P.
billionaire Michael Bloomberg	based in New York City	said he won't run, but filed for Alabama primary 11/2019	opted out March 2019, opted in 11/2019	website	book	former New York City Mayor
Sen. Cory Booker OUT	based in New Jersey	launched Feb 2019	dropped out 1/2020	website	book	--
Sen. Sherrod Brown OUT	based in Ohio	--	opted out March 2019	website	book	--
Gov. Steve Bullock OUT	based in Montana	launched May 2019	dropped out 12/2019	website	--	--
Mayor Pete Buttigieg	based in Indiana	launched April 2019	bot by Big Pharma, made ads that lie about Medicare For All: CAMPAIGN OVER! (10/2019)	website	book	Mayor of South Bend, Indiana; the first openly gay major party presidential prospect
Julián Castro OUT	based in Texas	launched Jan 2019	dropped out Jan 2020	website	book	former Sec'y of H.U.D.
Mark Charles	based in Navajo Nation	launched June 2019	--	website	video	lives in Washington, DC
Hillary Clinton OUT	based in New York State	says she won't run	--	website	book	former U.S. Sec'y of State
Mayor Bill de Blasio OUT	based in New York City	launched May 2019	quit Sept 2019	website	book	comment
Congressman John Delaney	based in Maryland	launched 7/2017 {sic}	--	website	book	comment
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard	based in Hawai'i	launched Jan 2019	--	website	book	comment
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand OUT	based in New York State	launched March 2019	quit August 2019	website	book	--
former Sen. Mike Gravel OUT	based in Alaska	launched April 2019	quit August 2019	website	book	former U.S. Senator
Sen. Kamala D. Harris OUT	based in California	launched Jan 2019	quit December 2019	website	book	comment
former Gov. John Hickenlooper OUT	based in Colorado	launched March 2019	quit August 2019	website	book	against fracking bans - will run for U.S. Senate
Eric H. Holder Jr. OUT	based in Washington, DC	--	opted out March 2019	website	--	former U.S. Attorney General
Gov. Jay Inslee OUT	based in Washington State	launched March 2019	quit August 2019	website	book	'The Climate Candidate' - will run for third term as Governor
Sen. Amy Klobuchar	based in Minnesota	launched Feb 2019	--	website	book	comment
former Gov. Terry McAuliffe	based in Virginia	launched ??	quit ??	website	book	'seriously considering' 2020 run
Mayor Wayne Messam	based in Miami, Florida area	launched March 2019	--	website	--	Mayor of Miramar, Florida {near Miami}
Congressman Seth Moulton OUT	based in northeastern Massachusetts	launched April 2019	quit August 2019	website	ebook	40-year-old Marine veteran
Beto O’Rourke OUT	based in Texas	launched March 2019	dropped out 11/2019	Facebook	book	former Texas Congressman
former Gov. Deval Patrick	based in Massachusetts	announced exploratory plans 11/2019	quit ??	website	book	was MA Gov. 2007-2015
Congressman Tim Ryan OUT	based in northeast Ohio	launched April 2019	dropped out 10/2019	website	book	--
Sen. Bernie Sanders	based in Vermont	launched Feb 2019	--	website	book	independent, i.e. Social Democrat
former Cong. Joe Sestak OUT	based in Pennsylvania	launched June 2019	dropped out 12/2019	website	book	former Navy Admiral
billionaire Tom Steyer	based in San Francisco, California	launched July 2019	quit ??	website	book?	comment
Congressman Eric Swalwell OUT	based in Alameda County, California	launched April 2019	quit July 8th	website	--	focused on gun control • "Go Big. Be Bold. Do Good."
Sen. Elizabeth Warren	based in Massachusetts	launched Dec 2018	--	website	book	my second choice, after Bernie
entrepreneur Andrew Yang	based in New York City	launched Nov 2017 {sic}	--	website	book	promotes Universal Basic Income
new candidate	based in	launched	quit ??	website	book?	comment

Lincoln Chafee	based in Rhode Island	launched Jan 2020	quit ??	website	book?	ex-GOP senator & Democratic governor; now Libertarian, i.e. spoiler candidate
Howard Schultz	based in Seattle, WA	exploring Jan 2019	quit ??	anti-website	book	centrist independent, i.e. spoiler candidate; ann 6/2019 'detour' after back surgeries
Marianne Williamson OUT	based in California	launched Jan 2019	quit Jan 2019	website	book	independent, i.e. spoiler candidate

former Gov. Mark Sanford OUT	based in South Carolina	launched September 2019	quit 11/2019	GOP candidate	--	was SC Gov. 2003-2011, U.S. Cong 1995-2000 & 2013-2018
former Gov. Bill Weld	based in Massachusetts	launched April 2019	--	GOP candidate	--	cannabis entrepreneur
former Congressman Joe Walsh	based in Illinois	launched August 2019	--	GOP candidate	--	recently a conservative radio host

Well, yuck, the fascists bought the November 2016 election and still essentially control all three branches of the U.S. federal government. The Democratic Party and other progressive forces will be engaged in an uphill battle over the next four years (at least) just to prevent backward movement to pre-Civil Rights Era oppression and even to pre-Revolutionary conditions. Even without unintended consequences such as collapse of the world economy, the fascist game plan does not bode well for Freedom or Justice or the American Dream. Trump was in violation of his Oath of Office at the very moment that he spoke it, but impeachment would give us President Mike Pence. America is no longer a bastion of Freedom, in any sense. Expect that fascist America will use its might to foment corporatist takeovers in other sovereign nations because there is not much left to stop them. Civil war? World War 3? We shall see.
Spirit of America Bookstore's real estate tycoon Donald J. Trump Page
Spirit of America Bookstore's Emperor Donald J. Trump Page
Spirit of America Bookstore's Emperor Trump's Cabinet Page
Spirit of America Bookstore's 'RussiaGate' Scandal Page

2020 U.S. Senate Races
One-third of the members in the Senate run for re-election in each 2-year cycle.
The 116th Congress includes 45 Democratic Senators & 2 independents versus 53 Republicans.
The Senate Class I of 2018 included 23 Democrats and 10 Republicans running for re-election.
The Senate Class II of 2020 includes 12 Democrats and 21 Republicans running for re-election.
The Senate Class III of 2022 includes 10 Democrats, 2 independents, and 21 Republicans running for re-election.

2020 U.S. Congressional Races
Everybody in the House of Representatives has to run for re-election every two years.

2011 gubernatorial elections in U.S. info at Wikipedia    a 4/2012
★   Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear [Dem] was re-elected with 55.65% of the vote
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal [GOP] was re-elected 10/2011 in 66-34 landslide
term-limited Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour was replaced by Phil Bryant [GOP] with 61% of the vote
★   West Virginia Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin [Democrat] won the special election with 49.5% of the vote
END OF YEAR STATUS (important for redistricting): Republicans 29 states, Dems 20 states, plus Rhode Island

New Yorker Magazine 3/2016 cartoon:
“Only fifty-six months to go until the 2020 election”

Things To Worry About2020: The Last National Election?

Things To Worry About
2020: The Last National Election?