As 2020 presidential candidates prepare to take the stage at the fifth Democratic debate on Wednesday, the lower tier candidates continue their fight for a spot on the national stage. With a growing field of candidates, the ability to stand out in an already crowded field dwindles.

Former Congressman John Delaney was the first to throw his hat in the race in July of 2017, but that hasn't translated into a successful bid for the Democratic nomination.

Still, Delaney sees his moderate approach to universal healthcare as a way to stand out in a progressive field. "I'm more in the Warren and Sanders camp on the goal, which is to give everyone health care as a basic human right. I just have a very different way of implementing it," Delaney said.

Senator Michael Bennet's goal is to appeal to those in purple states by tackling issues such as healthcare with a more pragmatic approach. "I don't want to fight a losing battle on Medicare for all over the next 10 years because it will strip from us the opportunity to deliver a better economic chance for most Americans," Bennet said.

The Colorado senator's ideals have not translated in polls, but Bennet has found a silver lining.

"My polling is never good except in one respect, which is that people that I expected to be 20 points ahead of me are like one point ahead of me or two points ahead of me," Bennet said.

Former Congressman Joe Sestak sees persistence as the key to winning over Iowa caucus-goers.

"It's tough to keep going at times, but that's what's most admired. I mean, in any kind of challenge," Sestak said.

Sestak has spent most of his time campaigning in early states, walking through New Hampshire and buying ads in Iowa.

Wednesday's debate marks the first time former HUD secretary Julián Castro will not be on the stage. Castro's campaign has consistently focused on marginalized communities in the U.S.

"I have been speaking up for the most vulnerable people in our country, whether it's people sleeping on the streets of Las Vegas or living in a trailer park in Iowa or in a D.C. jail serving time," Castro said.

With less than 100 days to go before the Iowa caucus and increasing requirements to qualify for the remaining primary debates, 2020 hopefuls remain optimistic that their tactics will prevail.

Updated November 20 to reflect that Bennet is not the only senator left in the race.

Share:
More In Politics
Al Sharpton to lead pro-DEI march through Wall Street
The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lead a protest march on Wall Street to urge corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The New York civil rights leader will join clergy, labor and community leaders Thursday in a demonstration through Manhattan’s Financial District that’s timed with the anniversary of the Civil Rights-era March on Washington in 1963. Sharpton called DEI the “civil rights fight of our generation." He and other Black leaders have called for boycotting American retailers that scaled backed policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity and reducing discrimination in their ranks.
Embattled Fed Gov. Lisa Cook says she’ll sue Trump to keep her job
Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook's lawyer says she'll sue President Donald Trump's administration to try to prevent him from firing her. Longtime Washington attorney Abbe Lowell said Tuesday that Trump “has no authority to remove” Cook. If Trump succeeds in removing Cook from the Fed's board of governors, it could erode the Fed’s political independence, which is considered critical to its ability to fight inflation because it enables the Fed to take unpopular steps like raising interest rates. The Republican president said Monday he was removing Cook because of allegations she committed mortgage fraud. Cook was appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden in 2022 and says she won't step down.
Load More