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2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries

←  2016 February 3 to August 11, 2020 2024 →
3,979 delegates to the Democratic National Convention [a] 1,991 delegates needed to win [1] [b]
Candidate Joe Biden Bernie Sanders Elizabeth Warren Home state Delaware Vermont Massachusetts Delegate count 2,687 [3] 1,073 [3] 63 [3] Contests won 46 9 0 Popular vote 19,076,052 [2] 9,679,213 [2] 2,831,472 [2] Percentage 51.8% 26.3% 7.7%   Candidate Michael Bloomberg Pete Buttigieg Amy Klobuchar Home state New York Indiana Minnesota Delegate count 59 [3] 21 [3] 7 [3] Contests won 1 1 0 Popular vote 2,493,409 [2] 924,237 [2] 529,713 [2] Percentage 6.8% 2.5% 1.4%   Candidate Tulsi Gabbard Home state Hawaii Delegate count 2 [3] Contests won 0 Popular vote 273,940 [2] Percentage 0.7%
First place by initial pledged delegate allocation First place by popular vote First place by convention roll call   Joe Biden   Bernie Sanders   Pete Buttigieg   Michael Bloomberg
Previous Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton Democratic nominee Joe Biden v t e

2020 U.S. presidential election
Timeline 2017–2019 January–October 2020 November 2020 – January 2021 Presidential debates Parties Polling national statewide News media endorsements primary general Fundraising Russian interference Presidential electors ( fake electors) Electoral College vote count Presidential transition Subsequent voting restrictions
Attempts to overturn
Protests inauguration week Lawsuits pre-election post-election Texas v. Pennsylvania January 6 Capitol attack timeline reactions domestic international aftermath
Democratic Party
Primaries timeline Candidates Debates Forums Results Positions Polling national statewide Endorsements Nominee VP candidate selection Convention automatic delegates
Republican Party
Primaries Debates Results Polling Endorsements Nominee Convention Reactions to Trump's fraud claims
Third parties
Libertarian Party primaries convention nominee Green Party primaries debates results convention nominee Third-party and independent candidates
Related races
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←  2016 2020 2024 →
v t e

The 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries and caucuses are a series of electoral contests organized by the Democratic Party to select the approximately 3,979 ^[a] pledged delegates to the 2020 Democratic National Convention. Those delegates shall, by pledged votes, elect the Democratic nominee for president of the United States in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. ^[4] The process began on February 3 and is scheduled to conclude in June 2020 after all fifty U.S. states, the District of Columbia, five U.S. territories, and Democrats Abroad have voted.

The campaign for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination began on July 28, 2018, when Maryland Congressman John Delaney became the first Democratic presidential candidate to announce his run for President. By April 2019, more than 20 major candidates were recognized by national and state polls, causing the field of 2020 major Democratic presidential candidates to exceed the field of 17 major candidates in the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries as the largest presidential candidate field for any single U.S. political party in a single election cycle. ^{[5] [6] [7] [8]} With the addition of Michael Bloomberg on November 24, 2019, the total number of major Democratic presidential candidates in the 2020 Democratic primaries totaled 29. ^[9] In May 2019, CBS News referred to the field of 2020 Democratic presidential candidates as "the largest and most diverse Democratic primary field in modern history", including at least six female presidential candidates. ^[10]

Independent of the result of primaries and caucuses, the Democratic Party will, from its group of party leaders and elected officials, also appoint 771 ^[b] unpledged delegates ( superdelegates) to participate in its national convention. In contrast to all previous election cycles since superdelegates were introduced in 1984, superdelegates will no longer have the right to cast decisive votes at the convention's first ballot for the presidential nomination. They will be allowed to cast non-decisive votes if a candidate has clinched the nomination before the first ballot, or decisive votes on subsequent ballots in a contested convention. ^{[4] [11] [12]}

As of March 5, 2020, ^[update] 26 candidates have suspended their campaigns, and three major candidates are still seeking the nomination: Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Tulsi Gabbard. The debate in Westerville, Ohio, on October 15, 2019, featured 12 candidates, setting a record for the highest number of candidates in one presidential debate.

Candidates and results

Major candidates in the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries have either: (a) served as vice president, a member of the cabinet, a U.S. senator, a U.S. representative, or a governor, (b) been included in a minimum of five independent national polls, or (c) received substantial media coverage.

Nearly 300 candidates who did not meet the criteria to be deemed "major" also filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for president in the Democratic Party primary. ^[13] Of these, about two dozen successfully endeavored to get their names placed on state ballots.^{[ citation needed]}

Active candidates

The delegate count and popular vote are currently coming in rapidly. The numbers you see below are likely going to be dated until the final count from Super Tuesday becomes clear.

The following list includes the major candidates who are currently running. As of March 5, 2020 ^[update], there are three active major candidates.

Candidate		Born	Notable positions	State	Campaign announced	Total pledged delegates [14]	Popular vote [15]	Contests won	Candidacy	Ref.
Joe Biden		November 20, 1942 (age 81) Scranton, Pennsylvania	Vice President of the United States (2009–2017) U.S. senator from Delaware (1973–2009) Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee (1987–1995) Candidate for President in 1988 and 2008	Delaware	April 25, 2019	656	4,865,502 (35.6%)	11 ( AL, AR, MA, ME, MN, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA)	__________ Campaign FEC filing [16]	[17]
Bernie Sanders		September 8, 1941 (age 82) Brooklyn, New York	U.S. senator from Vermont (2007–present) U.S. representative from VT-AL (1991–2007) Mayor of Burlington, Vermont (1981–1989) Candidate for President in 2016	Vermont	February 19, 2019	584	3,969,315 (28.9%)	7 ( CA, CO, NH, NV, UT, VT)	__________ Campaign FEC filing [18]	[19]
Tulsi Gabbard		April 12, 1981 (age 43) Leloaloa, American Samoa	U.S. representative from HI-02 (2013–present)	Hawaii	January 11, 2019	1	100,925 (0.74%)	0	__________ Campaign FEC filing [20]	[21]

Other notable individuals with active campaigns after the start of the primaries, but who did not meet the criteria to become major candidates and are only on the ballot in a small number of states, include:

• Henry Hewes, real estate developer; Right to Life nominee for Mayor of New York City in 1989 and U.S. Senate from New York in 1994 ^{[22] [23]}
• Robby Wells, former college football coach; Independent candidate for President in 2016 ^{[24] [25] [23]}

Withdrew during the primaries

Major candidates who withdrew or suspended their campaigns after the Iowa caucuses or succeeding primary elections:

Candidate		Born	Experience	State	Campaign announced	Campaign suspended	Delegates won	Popular vote	Contests won	Article	Ref
Elizabeth Warren		June 22, 1949 (age 74) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	U.S. senator from Massachusetts (2013–present) Special Advisor for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (2010–2011)	Massachusetts	February 9, 2019 Exploratory committee: December 31, 2018	March 5, 2020	61	1,780,905 (12.9%)	0	__________ Campaign FEC filing [26]	[27]
Michael Bloomberg		February 14, 1942 (age 82) Boston, Massachusetts	Mayor of New York City, New York (2002–2013) CEO of Bloomberg L.P.	New York	November 24, 2019 Exploratory committee: November 21, 2019	March 4, 2020 (endorsed Biden) [28]	53	1,414,445 (14.3%)	1 ( AS)	__________ Campaign FEC filing [29]	[30] [31]
Amy Klobuchar		May 25, 1960 (age 63) Plymouth, Minnesota	U.S. senator from Minnesota (2007–present)	Minnesota	February 10, 2019	March 2, 2020 (endorsed Biden) [32]	7	374,408 (2.78%)	0	__________ Campaign FEC filing [33]	[34] [32]
Pete Buttigieg		January 19, 1982 (age 42) South Bend, Indiana	Mayor of South Bend, Indiana (2012–2020)	Indiana	April 14, 2019 Exploratory committee: January 23, 2019	March 1, 2020 (endorsed Biden) [35]	27	600,079 (4.45%)	1 ( IA)	__________ Campaign FEC filing [36]	[37] [38]
Tom Steyer		June 27, 1957 (age 66) Manhattan, New York	Hedge fund manager Founder of Farallon Capital, Beneficial State Bank, and NextGen America	California	July 9, 2019	February 29, 2020	0	200,713 (1.49%)	0	__________ Campaign FEC filing [39]	[40] [41]
Deval Patrick		July 31, 1956 (age 67) Chicago, Illinois	Governor of Massachusetts (2007–2015)	Massachusetts	November 14, 2019	February 12, 2020	0	14,238 (0.11%)	0	__________ Campaign FEC filing [42]	[43] [44]
Michael Bennet		November 28, 1964 (age 59) New Delhi, India	U.S. senator from Colorado (2009–present)	Colorado	May 2, 2019	February 11, 2020	0	26,179 (0.19%)	0	__________ Campaign FEC filing [45]	[46] [47]
Andrew Yang		January 13, 1975 (age 49) Schenectady, New York	Entrepreneur Founder of Venture for America Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship (2015–2017)	New York	November 6, 2017	February 11, 2020	0	67,567 (0.50%)	0	__________ Campaign FEC filing [48]	[49] [50]

Individuals who did not meet the criteria to become major candidates also terminated their campaigns during the primaries:

• Sam Sloan, chess player and publisher ^[23]

Withdrew before the primaries

Major candidates who withdrew or suspended their campaigns before the 2020 Democratic primary elections began.

Candidates who withdrew before the primaries

Candidate	Born	Experience	State	Campaign announced	Campaign suspended	Popular vote	Article	Ref.
John Delaney	April 16, 1963 (age 61) Wood-Ridge, New Jersey	U.S. representative from MD-06 (2013–2019)	Maryland	July 28, 2017	January 31, 2020	9,395	Campaign FEC filing [51]	[52] [53]
Cory Booker	April 27, 1969 (age 54) Washington, D.C.	U.S. senator from New Jersey (2013–present) Mayor of Newark, New Jersey (2006–2013)	New Jersey	February 1, 2019	January 13, 2020 (running for re-election) [54]	18,797	Campaign FEC filing [55]	[56] [57]
Marianne Williamson	July 8, 1952 (age 71) Houston, Texas	Author Founder of Project Angel Food Independent candidate for U.S. House from CA-33 in 2014	California	January 28, 2019 Exploratory committee: November 15, 2018	January 10, 2020 (endorsed Sanders) [58]	14,458	Campaign FEC filing [59]	[60] [61]
Julián Castro	September 16, 1974 (age 49) San Antonio, Texas	Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (2014–2017) Mayor of San Antonio, Texas (2009–2014)	Texas	January 12, 2019 Exploratory committee: December 12, 2018	January 2, 2020 (endorsed Warren) [62]	25,401	Campaign FEC filing [63]	[64] [65]
Kamala Harris	October 20, 1964 (age 59) Oakland, California	U.S. senator from California (2017–present) Attorney General of California (2011–2017)	California	January 21, 2019	December 3, 2019	861	Campaign FEC filing [66]	[67] [68]
Steve Bullock	April 11, 1966 (age 58) Missoula, Montana	Governor of Montana (2013–present) Attorney General of Montana (2009–2013)	Montana	May 14, 2019	December 2, 2019	601	Campaign FEC filing [69]	[70] [71]
Joe Sestak	December 12, 1951 (age 72) Secane, Pennsylvania	U.S. representative from PA-07 (2007–2011) Former Vice Admiral of the United States Navy	Pennsylvania	June 23, 2019	December 1, 2019 (endorsed Klobuchar) [72]	2,568	Campaign FEC filing [73]	[74] [75]
Wayne Messam	June 7, 1974 (age 49) South Bay, Florida	Mayor of Miramar, Florida (2015–present)	Florida	March 28, 2019 Exploratory committee: March 13, 2019	November 19, 2019	0 [c]	Campaign FEC filing [76]	[77] [78]
Beto O'Rourke	September 26, 1972 (age 51) El Paso, Texas	U.S. representative from TX-16 (2013–2019)	Texas	March 14, 2019	November 1, 2019 (endorsed Biden) [79]	0 [c]	Campaign FEC filing [80]	[81] [82]
Tim Ryan	July 16, 1973 (age 50) Niles, Ohio	U.S. representative from OH-13 (2013–present) U.S. representative from OH-17 (2003–2013)	Ohio	April 4, 2019	October 24, 2019 (running for re-election) [83] (endorsed Biden) [84]	0 [c]	Campaign FEC filing [85]	[86] [87]
Bill de Blasio	May 8, 1961 (age 62) Manhattan, New York	Mayor of New York City, New York (2014–present)	New York	May 16, 2019	September 20, 2019 (endorsed Sanders) [88]	0 [c]	Campaign FEC filing [89]	[90] [91]
Kirsten Gillibrand	December 9, 1966 (age 57) Albany, New York	U.S. senator from New York (2009–present) U.S. representative from NY-20 (2007–2009)	New York	March 17, 2019 Exploratory committee: January 15, 2019	August 28, 2019	0 [c]	Campaign FEC filing [92]	[93] [94]
Seth Moulton	October 24, 1978 (age 45) Salem, Massachusetts	U.S. representative from MA-06 (2015–present)	Massachusetts	April 22, 2019	August 23, 2019 (running for re-election) [95] (endorsed Biden) [96]	0 [c]	Campaign FEC filing [97]	[98] [99]
Jay Inslee	February 9, 1951 (age 73) Seattle, Washington	Governor of Washington (2013–present) U.S. representative from WA-01 (1999–2012) U.S. representative from WA-04 (1993–1995)	Washington	March 1, 2019	August 21, 2019 (running for re-election) [100]	1 [c]	Campaign FEC filing [101]	[102] [103]
John Hickenlooper	February 7, 1952 (age 72) Narberth, Pennsylvania	Governor of Colorado (2011–2019) Mayor of Denver, Colorado (2003–2011)	Colorado	March 4, 2019	August 15, 2019 (running for U.S. Senate) [104] (endorsed Bennet) [105]	0 [c]	Campaign FEC filing [106]	[107] [108]
Mike Gravel	May 13, 1930 (age 93) Springfield, Massachusetts	U.S. senator from Alaska (1969–1981) Candidate for President in 2008 Candidate for Vice President in 1972	California	April 2, 2019 Exploratory committee: March 19, 2019	August 6, 2019 (endorsed Gabbard and Sanders) [109]	0 [c]	Campaign FEC filing [110]	[111] [109]
Eric Swalwell	November 16, 1980 (age 43) Sac City, Iowa	U.S. representative from CA-15 (2013–present)	California	April 8, 2019	July 8, 2019 (running for re-election) [112]	0 [c]	Campaign FEC filing [113]	[114] [115]
Richard Ojeda	September 25, 1970 (age 53) Rochester, Minnesota	West Virginia state senator from WV-SD07 (2016–2019)	West Virginia	November 11, 2018	January 25, 2019 (running for U.S. Senate) [116]	0 [c]	Campaign FEC filing [117]	[118] [119]

The following notable individuals who did not meet the criteria to become major candidates also terminated their campaigns before the primaries:

• Ben Gleib, actor, comedian, satirist, and writer ^{[120] [121] [122]}
• Ami Horowitz, conservative activist and documentary filmmaker (endorsed Donald Trump) ^{[123] [124] [125]}
• Brian Moore, activist; Green nominee for U.S. Senate from Florida in 2006; Socialist and Liberty Union nominee for president in 2008 ^[23]
• Ken Nwadike Jr., documentary filmmaker, motivational speaker, and peace activist ^{[126] [127][ failed verification]}

Timeline of the race

Background

After Hillary Clinton's loss in the previous election, many felt the Democratic Party lacked a clear leading figure. ^[128] Divisions remained in the party following the 2016 primaries, which pitted Clinton against Bernie Sanders. ^{[129] [130]} Between the 2016 election and the 2018 midterm elections, Senate Democrats generally shifted to the political left in relation to college tuition, healthcare, and immigration. ^{[131] [132]} The 2018 elections saw the Democratic Party regain the House of Representatives for the first time in eight years, picking up seats in both urban and suburban districts. ^{[133] [134]}

Overview

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2017: Early Stages

Rep. John Delaney was the first major candidate to announce his campaign, two and a half years before the 2020 Iowa caucus.

Entrepreneur Andrew Yang was the second major Democratic candidate to announce his campaign.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard became the first major female candidate to announce her candidacy on January 11, 2019.

Sen. Kamala Harris launched her bid on January 21, 2019.

Sen. Cory Booker launched his bid on February 1, 2019.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren launched her bid on February 9, 2019.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar launched her bid on February 10, 2019.

Sen. Bernie Sanders launched his second campaign on February 19, 2019.

Governor Jay Inslee launched his presidential bid on March 1, 2019, becoming the first incumbent governor to do so.

Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke launched his bid on March 14, 2019.

Mayor Pete Buttigieg launched his bid on April 14, 2019.

In the weeks following the election of Donald Trump in the 2016 election, media speculation regarding potential candidates for the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries began to circulate. As the Senate began confirmation hearings for members of the cabinet, speculation centered on the prospects of the "hell-no caucus", six senators who went on to vote against the majority of Trump's nominees. According to Politico, the members of the "hell-no caucus" were Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, Bernie Sanders, Jeff Merkley, and Elizabeth Warren. ^{[135] [136]} Other speculation centered on then- Vice-President Joe Biden making a third presidential bid following failed attempts in 1988 and 2008. ^[137]

On July 28, Representative John Delaney of Maryland announced his candidacy in an op-ed in The Washington Post, ^[52] which broke the record for earliest major candidacy declaration in history. ^[138] Tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang of New York announced his candidacy in November. ^[139]

2018: Impact of Mid-Term Elections

In August 2018, Democratic Party officials and television networks began discussions as to the nature and scheduling of the following year's debates and the nomination process. ^[140] Changes were made to the role of superdelegates, deciding to allow them to vote on the first ballot only if the nomination is uncontested. ^[141] The Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced the preliminary schedule for the 12 official DNC-sanctioned debates, set to begin in June 2019, with six debates in 2019 and the remaining six during the first four months of 2020.

On November 6, 2018, the 2018 midterm elections were held. The election was widely characterized as a "blue wave" election. Mass canvassing, voter registration drives and deep engagement techniques drove turnout high. Despite this, eventual presidential candidates U.S. Representative Beto O'Rourke of Texas and State Senator Richard Ojeda of West Virginia both lost their respective races. ^[142] Later that same month, former state senator Richard Ojeda of West Virginia announced his candidacy. ^[143]

2019

Former Vice President Joe Biden launched his third campaign on April 25, 2019.

Rep. Eric Swalwell became the first representative to suspend their campaign following the first debate on July 8, 2019.

Billionaire hedge fund manager Tom Steyer launched his campaign on July 9, 2019.

Former Governor John Hickenlooper suspended his campaign on August 15, 2019 and subsequently launched a bid for the United States Senate. He later endorsed Michael Bennet.

Kirsten Gillibrand became the first incumbent Senator and first female major candidate to suspend her campaign on August 28, 2019.

Mayor Bill de Blasio suspended his campaign on September 20, 2019 and endorsed Bernie Sanders after the New Hampshire primary.

Rep. Tim Ryan suspended his campaign on October 24, 2019 and subsequently endorsed Joe Biden.

Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched his campaign via video on November 24, 2019.

Governor Steve Bullock suspended his campaign and declined to run for the United States Senate on December 2, 2019.

Former HUD Secretary Julian Castro suspended his campaign on January 2, 2020 and subsequently endorsed Elizabeth Warren.

Spiritual author Marianne Williamson suspended her campaign on January 10, 2020 and subsequently endorsed Bernie Sanders.

Sen. Michael Bennet suspended his campaign on February 11, 2020, after the polls closed in the New Hampshire primary.

January 2019

• January 11: U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii announced her candidacy during an interview on The Van Jones Show. ^[144]
• January 12: Former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro officially announced his candidacy at a rally in San Antonio, Texas. ^[145]
• January 15: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York announced the formation of an exploratory committee during an interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. ^[146]
• January 21: Senator Kamala Harris of California announced her candidacy during an interview on Good Morning America. ^[147]
• January 23: Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, formed an exploratory committee. ^[148]
• January 25: Richard Ojeda dropped out of the race. ^[149]
• January 28: Williamson announced her candidacy at a rally in Los Angeles, California. ^[60]

February 2019

• February 1: Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey announced his candidacy. ^[56]
• February 9: Warren announced her candidacy at a rally in Lawrence, Massachusetts. ^[150]
• February 10: Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota announced her candidacy at a rally in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ^[151]
• February 19: Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont announced his candidacy via an email to supporters and appeared on Vermont Public Radio as well as CBS This Morning as part of his campaign launch. ^[152]

March 2019

• March 1: Governor Jay Inslee of Washington announced his candidacy. ^[153]
• March 4: Former governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado announced his candidacy. ^[154]
• March 11: The DNC announced Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the site of the 2020 Democratic National Convention. ^[155]
• March 13: Mayor Wayne Messam of Miramar, Florida, formed an exploratory committee. ^[77]
• March 14: Former Representative Beto O'Rourke of Texas announced his candidacy. ^[81]
• March 17: Gillibrand formally announced her candidacy via an online video. ^[156]
• March 19: An exploratory committee was formed on behalf of former Senator Mike Gravel of Alaska. ^[110]
• March 28: Messam formally announced his candidacy in an online video. ^[77]

April 2019

• April 1: The We the People Membership Summit was held in Warner Theatre, Washington, D.C. by the Center for Popular Democracy Action, Communications Workers of America, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Service Employees International Union, SEIU 32BJ, Sierra Club. Issues like democracy reform were discussed. ^{[157] [158]}
• April 4: Representative Tim Ryan of Ohio announced his candidacy and appeared on The View as part of a campaign launch. ^[159]
• April 8:
  • Mike Gravel formally announced his candidacy in an online video. ^[160]
  • Representative Eric Swalwell of California announced his candidacy during an interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. ^[114]
• April 14: Pete Buttigieg announced his candidacy at a rally in South Bend, Indiana. ^[161]
• April 22: Representative Seth Moulton of Massachusetts announced his candidacy in an online video. ^[98]
• April 24: The She the People Presidential Forum was held at Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas by She the People. Issues affecting women of color were discussed. ^{[162] [163]}
• April 25: Former Vice President Joe Biden of Delaware announced his candidacy in an online video. ^[17]
• April 27: The National Forum on Wages and Working People: Creating an Economy that Works for All was held at Enclave, Las Vegas, Nevada by the Service Employees International Union and the Center for American Progress Action Fund. Economic issues affecting low-income Americans were discussed. ^{[164] [165]}

May 2019

• May 2: Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado announced his candidacy during an interview on CBS This Morning. ^[166]
• May 14: Governor Steve Bullock of Montana announced his candidacy in an online video. ^{[70] [167]}
• May 16: Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City announced his candidacy in an online video ^{[168] [169]} and appeared on Good Morning America as part of a campaign launch. ^[90]

June 2019

• June 1: The Big Ideas Forum was held at Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, California by MoveOn. Ideas that could inspire voters and transform the country were discussed. ^{[170] [171]}
• May 31 – June 2: The California State Democratic Convention, a major "cattle call" event attended by most major candidates, took place in San Francisco. ^{[172] [173]}
• June 9: Iowa Democrats' Hall of Fame Dinner, a "cattle call" event featuring 19 candidates, took place at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel and Convention Center in Cedar Rapids, IA. ^[174]
• June 13: The Democratic National Committee announced that 20 candidates will participate in the first official debate on June 26–27. ^[175]
• June 17: The Poor People's Campaign Presidential Forum was held at Trinity Washington University, Washington, D.C. by Poor People's Campaign. Issues affecting low-income Americans were discussed. ^{[176] [177]}
• June 21: The NALEO Presidential Candidate Forum was held at Telemundo Center, Miami, Florida by the NALEO. Issues affecting Hispanic and Latino Americans were discussed. ^{[178] [179]}
• June 22:
  • Former Representative Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania announced his candidacy with a midnight campaign website launch. ^[180]
  • The South Carolina Democratic Party Convention was held at the Columbia Convention Center, Columbia, South Carolina by the South Carolina Democratic Party. ^{[181] [182]}
  • The We Decide: 2020 Election Membership Forum was held at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina by the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Reproductive health care and reproductive rights were discussed. ^{[183] [184]}
• June 26: The first part of the first official debate was held in Miami, Florida. ^[185]
• June 27: The second part of the first official debate was held in Miami, Florida. ^[185]

July 2019

• July 5: The Strong Public Schools Presidential Forum was held at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, Texas by the National Education Association. Issues affecting education and public schools were discussed. ^{[186] [187]}
• July 8: Eric Swalwell dropped out of the race ^[115] and announced he would run for re-election to his seat in the House of Representatives in 2020. ^[188]
• July 9: Billionaire hedge fund manager Tom Steyer announced his candidacy in an online video. ^[189]
• July 15–17 and 19–20, 2019: The Iowa Presidential Candidate Forums were held in Des Moines, Davenport, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City, and Council Bluffs by AARP and The Des Moines Register. Issues affecting older voters in Iowa were discussed. ^[190]
• July 24: The NAACP 2020 Presidential Candidates Forum was held in Detroit, Michigan. ^[191]
• July 30: The first part of the second official debate was held in Detroit, Michigan. ^[192]
• July 31: The second part of the second official debate was held in Detroit, Michigan. ^[193]

August 2019

• August 3: The Public Service Forum was held at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, by AFSCME and the HuffPost. Public service, trade unions, labor rights, and the economy were discussed. ^[194]
• August 6: Mike Gravel dropped out of the race, endorsing the campaigns of both Bernie Sanders and Tulsi Gabbard. ^[109]
• August 10: The Gun Sense Forum was held in Des Moines, Iowa by Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action. Gun violence was discussed. ^[195]
• August 15: John Hickenlooper dropped out of the race, later announcing a campaign for Colorado's Class 2 United States Senate seat up for election in 2020. ^[196]
• August 8–11, August 13, and August 17, 2019: The Des Moines Register Political Soapbox was held at the Iowa State Fair, Des Moines, Iowa by the Des Moines Register. Attending candidates provided 20-minute speeches on their political platforms. ^[197]
• August 19–20, 2019: The Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum was held at Orpheum Theater, Sioux City, Iowa by Four Directions, Native Organizers Alliance, National Congress of American Indians, Native American Rights Fund, Coalition of Large Tribes, and Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Association. ^[198]
• August 21: Jay Inslee dropped out of the race and announced a campaign for re-election as Governor of Washington in 2020. ^[103]
• August 23: Seth Moulton dropped out of the race ^[99] and announced he would run for re-election to his seat in the House of Representatives in 2020. ^[188]
• August 28: Kirsten Gillibrand dropped out of the race. ^[94]

September 2019

• September 4: A Climate Crisis Town Hall was held by CNN at New York City, New York. Global warming was discussed. ^[199]
• September 7: The New Hampshire Democratic Party State Convention was held at Southern New Hampshire University Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire. 19 candidates were in attendance and addressed the delegates and voters. ^[200]
• September 12: The third official debate took place in Houston, Texas at Texas Southern University, ^[201] aired on ABC and Univision. ^[202]
• September 17: The Workers' Presidential Summit was held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA by the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO. Issues affecting labor unions and union workers were discussed. ^[203]
• September 19–20: A Climate Forum was held at Gaston Hall, Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., sponsored by MSNBC, Georgetown University, and Our Daily Planet. ^[204]
• September 20:
  • Bill de Blasio dropped out of the race. ^[91]
  • An LGBTQ forum was held in the Sinclair Auditorium at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA by One Iowa, The Advocate, and GLAAD. LGBTQ rights were discussed. ^[205]
• September 21: The Iowa People's Presidential Forum was held at the Iowa Events Centre in Des Moines, Iowa by Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Action Fund and People's Action. Healthcare, green energy and education were discussed. ^[206]
• September 22: A Youth Forum was held in Des Moines, Iowa by Des Moines Public Schools and the Des Moines Register. Students and youth issues were discussed. ^[207]

October 2019

• October 2: A Gun Safety Forum was held in Las Vegas, Nevada by Giffords and March for Our Lives. Gun violence was discussed. ^[208]
• October 10: An LGBTQ Forum was held at The Novo in Los Angeles, California by the Human Rights Campaign and UCLA. LGBTQ rights were discussed. ^{[209] [210]}
• October 15: The fourth official debate took place at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, ^{[211] [212]} aired on CNN. The debate featured 12 candidates, setting a record for the highest number of candidates in one presidential debate. ^{[213] [214]}
• October 24: Tim Ryan dropped out of the race ^[215] and announced he would run for re-election to his seat in the House of Representatives in 2020. ^[83] He later endorsed Joe Biden's campaign. ^[216]
• October 26–27: The Collegiate Bipartisan Presidential forum was held at Benedict College in Columbia, SC by Mayor Steve Benjamin and Benedict College. Students' interests, criminal justice reform and racial justice were discussed. ^[217]

November 2019

• November 1:
  • Beto O'Rourke dropped out of the race. ^[82]
  • The Liberty and Justice Celebration was held at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA by the Iowa Democratic Party. Candidates performed 12-minute speeches covering their political platforms. ^{[218] [219]}
• November 8: Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg prepared to enter the race by filing for ballot access in Alabama. ^[220]
• November 14: Former Governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick entered the race by announcing his candidacy. ^[221]
• November 16: The California Democratic Party Fall Endorsing Convention Forum was held at Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, California by the California Democratic Party/ Univision. Latino issues were discussed. ^[222]
• November 17: The Nevada State Democratic Party's First In The West "cattle call" event was held at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. ^[223]
• November 19: Wayne Messam dropped out of the race. ^[224]
• November 20: The fifth Democratic debate took place in Atlanta, Georgia at Tyler Perry Studios, co-hosted by MSNBC and The Washington Post. ^[225]
• November 21: Michael Bloomberg formed an exploratory committee. ^[226]
• November 24: Michael Bloomberg announced his candidacy with a website launch. ^[227]

December 2019

• December 1: Joe Sestak dropped out of the race. ^[75]
• December 2: Steve Bullock dropped out of the race. ^[71]
• December 3: Kamala Harris dropped out of the race. ^[68]
• December 7: The Teamsters Union Forum was held by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Storm Lake Times and The Guardian at the Veteran's Auditorium in Cedar Rapids, IA. Workers' rights and the Teamsters three-point pledge were discussed. ^[228]
• December 14: The Public Education Forum 2020 was held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA by the American Federation of Teachers, the National Educational Association and the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools. Education was discussed. ^[229]
• December 19: The sixth Democratic debate took place in Los Angeles, California, at Loyola Marymount University. ^[230]

2020

January 2020

• January 2: Julián Castro dropped out of the race. ^[231] He later endorsed Elizabeth Warren's campaign. ^[62]
• January 10: Marianne Williamson dropped out of the race. ^[61] She later endorsed Bernie Sanders' campaign. ^[58]
• January 13: Cory Booker dropped out of the race. ^[232]
• January 14: The seventh Democratic debate took place in Des Moines, Iowa, at Drake University. ^[233]
• January 17: The first votes were cast as no-excuse, in-person absentee voting in the Minnesota primary began. ^[234]
• January 31: John Delaney dropped out of the race. ^[235]

February 2020

February 2016: early primaries

In the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses, Cruz won a narrow victory over Trump and Rubio. ^[236] Following poor performances in Iowa, three candidates suspended their campaigns: Huckabee—the winner of the caucuses in 2008—Santorum—the winner of the caucuses in 2012—and Paul, whose father performed very well in the 2008 and 2012 caucuses. This caused the field to narrow to nine. ^{[237] [238] [239]} After coming third in the Iowa caucuses, the media quickly painted Rubio as the candidate most likely to pick up the establishment mantle and ride it to the nomination following a strong performance in New Hampshire, much as McCain and Romney had done in 2008 and 2012, respectively, before both ultimately lost the general election to Obama. Rubio used this narrative to pick up a number of endorsements in the days following the Iowa caucuses. However, in the New Hampshire debate of February 6, 2016, Rubio repeated a talking point four times almost verbatim during an exchange with Christie, which led to sharp criticism of his performance in the aftermath and the beginning of the end of Rubio's campaign. ^[240]

In the New Hampshire primary, Trump scored a decisive victory over the rest of the field, winning the primary with 35% of the vote. Kasich, who had held over 100 town halls in the state, finished second in a surprise to many in the media. Cruz coming in third in the contest was also a shock to many, while Rubio slipped to fifth, behind Trump, Kasich, Cruz and Bush, whose campaign appeared to be revitalized following several months of apparent stagnation. After coming in seventh place in both Iowa and New Hampshire, Fiorina suspended her campaign on February 10, 2016. ^[241] Later that same day, Christie, whose campaign was staked almost entirely on getting a strong showing in New Hampshire, suspended his campaign after coming in sixth in New Hampshire, failing to reach the minimum 10% vote threshold required to be allocated delegates from the state and qualifying for the next debate on CBS. ^{[242] [243]} Later that week, Jim Gilmore, who had failed to gain traction, win delegates or be invited to most of the debates, suspended his campaign, narrowing the field to six. ^[244]

The third contest was in South Carolina. Prior to the primary, Rubio picked up the key endorsement of Governor Nikki Haley, a feat seen as renewing his momentum after a disappointing finish in New Hampshire. ^{[245] [246]} Exit polling showed that 46% of voters had decided the week before the primary, and that the majority of these votes went to Rubio. ^[247] When the votes were counted, Trump again won by double digits, garnering 33% of the vote, ahead of Rubio with 22%, who edged out Cruz for second-place by 0.2%. Since Trump carried the vote both statewide and in each congressional district, his result netted him all 50 delegates available in the state. ^{[248] [249]} Following disappointing finishes in the first three contests despite outspending his competitors, Bush suspended his campaign on February 20. ^[250]

Three days following the South Carolina primary, Trump won the Nevada caucuses, winning with 46% of the vote with Rubio in a distant second with 24% and Cruz slightly further behind with 21%. ^[251]

• February 3: The Iowa caucuses took place, but inconsistencies reported in the caucus results delay reporting of the outcome. ^{[252] [253]}
• February 4–7: Results were released in the Iowa caucuses. The reporting delays, errors, and inconsistencies surrounding the caucuses prompted DNC Chairman Tom Perez to call for a recanvass. As of February 7, 2020 ^[update], Sanders was projected to win a plurality of first-instance and final votes, while the lead in state delegate equivalents was disputed between Sanders and Buttigieg. ^{[254] [255]} Warren came in third, and Biden fourth.
• February 7: The eighth Democratic debate took place in Goffstown, New Hampshire at St. Anselm College. ^[233]
• February 11: New Hampshire primary
  • Bernie Sanders was announced as the winner of the New Hampshire primary, with 26% of the vote. ^[256] Buttigieg (24%, 2nd) and Klobuchar (20%, 3rd) were the only other candidates to receive delegates; Warren (9%, 4th) and Biden (8%, 5th) finished below the delegate threshold. ^[257]
  • Michael Bennet and Andrew Yang dropped out of the race. ^{[258] [259]}
• February 12: Deval Patrick dropped out of the race. ^[260]
• February 15–17: The Moving America Forward Infrastructure Forum was held at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, by the IUOE, ASCE, TWUA, ARTBA, APTA, AEM, and other groups. Infrastructure policy was discussed, with a focus on transportation, water, and broadband issues. ^[261]
• February 19: The ninth Democratic debate took place in Las Vegas, Nevada. ^[233]
• February 21: Voting in the Washington primary began. ^[262]
• February 22: Nevada caucuses
  • With almost 47% of the county convention delegates, Bernie Sanders was announced as the winner of the Nevada caucuses. ^[263] Joe Biden finished second (20%), Pete Buttigieg finished third (14%), Elizabeth Warren finished fourth (10%), and Tom Steyer finished fifth (5%). ^[264]
• February 24: Voting in the Colorado primary began. ^[265]
• February 25: The tenth Democratic debate took place in Charleston, South Carolina at the Gaillard Center. ^[233]
• February 29: South Carolina primary
  • With 48% of the popular vote, Joe Biden was announced as the winner of the South Carolina primary. ^[266] Bernie Sanders came in second (20%), with Tom Steyer (3rd, 11%), Pete Buttigieg (4th, 8%), and Elizabeth Warren (5th, 7%) rounding out the top five. ^[267]
  • Steyer suspended his presidential bid after his result in South Carolina, where he had spent vast amounts of money. ^[268]

March 2020

• March 1: Pete Buttigieg dropped out. ^[269]
• March 2:
  • Hours before Super Tuesday, Amy Klobuchar dropped out. ^[270]
  • That evening, Biden received the endorsements of Buttigieg, Klobuchar, and Beto O'Rourke during a rally in Texas. ^[271]
• March 3: Super Tuesday: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia primaries; American Samoa caucus.
  • Sanders won: Colorado, Utah, Vermont, California
  • Biden won: Alabama, Arkansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Maine
  • Bloomberg won: American Samoa
  • Voting in the Democrats Abroad primary began. ^[272]
• March 4: Michael Bloomberg dropped out and endorsed Joe Biden. ^[273]
• March 5: Elizabeth Warren dropped out. ^[273]
• March 10: Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, and Washington primaries; North Dakota firehouse caucus
• March 14: Northern Mariana Islands caucuses
• March 15: The eleventh Democratic debate will take place in Phoenix, Arizona. ^[274]
• March 17: Arizona, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio primaries
• March 24: Georgia primary
• March 29: Puerto Rico primary

April 2020

• April 4: Alaska and Hawaii party-run primaries; Louisiana primary; Wyoming caucus
• April 7: Wisconsin primary
• April 28: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island primaries
• April 29: Voting in the Oregon primary begins. ^[275]

May 2020

• May 2: Guam caucus; Kansas party-run primary
• May 5: Indiana primary
• May 12: Nebraska and West Virginia primaries
• May 19: Kentucky and Oregon primaries

June 2020

• June 2: District of Columbia, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota primaries
• June 6: Virgin Islands caucuses

July 2020

• July 13–16: Democratic National Convention, in which delegates of the Democratic Party will choose the party's nominees for president and vice president in the general election

Debates and forums

In December 2018, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced the schedule for 12 official DNC-sanctioned debates, set to begin in June 2019, with six debates in 2019 and the remaining six during the first four months of 2020. Candidates were allowed to participate in forums featuring multiple other candidates as long as only one candidate appeared on stage at a time. Any presidential candidates who participated in unsanctioned debates with each other would have lost their invitations to the next DNC-sanctioned debate. ^{[276] [277]} No unsanctioned debates took place during the 2019—2020 debate season.

The DNC also announced that it would not partner with Fox News as a media sponsor for any debates. ^{[278] [279]} Fox News last held a Democratic debate in 2003. ^[280] All media sponsors selected to host a debate were as a new rule required to appoint at least one female moderator for each debate, to ensure there would not be a gender-skewed treatment of the candidates and debate topics. ^[281]

Primary election polling

The following graph depicts the standing of each candidate in the poll aggregators from December 2018 to April 2020.

Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.

Italics indicate withdrawn candidates; bold indicates events.

Schedule

• Sources: Official Republican Schedule and Nominating Process, USA Today and The Green Papers

Filing for the primaries began in October 2019. ^{[325] [326]} indicates that the candidate is on the ballot for the primary contest, indicates that the candidate is a recognized write-in candidate, and indicates that the candidate will not appear on the ballot in that state's contest. indicates that a candidate withdrew before the ballot but is still listed on the ballot. Blanks indicate that a candidate is not yet known to be on the ballot but a final list of candidates eligible to appear on the ballot is not yet available. States that have not yet announced any candidates who are on the ballot are not included.

Primaries and caucuses

State/ Territory	Date	Biden	Gabbard	Sanders	Warren	Bloomberg	Klobuchar	Buttigieg	Steyer	Patrick	Bennet	Yang	Other	Ref
IA [i]	Feb 3	Ballot access not required												[327]
NH	Feb 11												[A]	[23] [328]
NV [i]	Feb 22												[B]	[329]
SC	Feb 29												[C]	[330]
AL	Mar 3												[D]	[331]
AR	Mar 3												[E]	[332]
AS [i]	Mar 3												[F]	[333]
CA	Mar 3												[G]	[334]
CO	Mar 3												[H]	[335] [336]
ME	Mar 3												[I]	[337]
MA	Mar 3												[D]	[338]
MN	Mar 3												[D]	[339]
NC	Mar 3												[D]	[340]
OK	Mar 3												[J]	[341]
TN	Mar 3												[K]	[342] [343]
TX	Mar 3												[L]	[344]
UT	Mar 3												[M]	[345]
VT	Mar 3												[N]	[346]
VA	Mar 3												[J]	[347]
DA	Mar 10													[348]
ID	Mar 10												[O]	[349]
MI	Mar 10												[P]	[350]
MS	Mar 10													[351]
MO	Mar 10												[Q]	[352]
ND	Mar 10												[B]	[353]
WA	Mar 10												[C]	[354]
MP [i]	Mar 14													[355]
AZ	Mar 17												[R]	[356]
FL	Mar 17												[P]	[357]
IL	Mar 17												[C]	[358]
OH	Mar 17												[S]	[359]
GA	Mar 24												[B]	[360]
PR	Mar 29													[361]
AK	Apr 4													[362] [363]
HI	Apr 4												[B]	[364]
LA	Apr 4												[T]	[365]
WY [i]	Apr 4												[B]	[366]
WI	Apr 7												[B]	[367]
CT	Apr 28													[368]
DE	Apr 28													[369]
MD	Apr 28												[J]	[370]
NY	Apr 28													[371]
PA	Apr 28													[372]
RI	Apr 28													[373]
GU [i]	May 2	Ballot access not required												[374]
KS	May 2													[375]
IN	May 5													[376]
WV	May 12												[U]	[377]
KY	May 19													[378]
OR	May 19													[379]
DC	Jun 2												[V]	[380]
MT	Jun 2													[381]
NM	Jun 2													[382]
VI [i]	Jun 6	Ballot access not required												[383]