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With Joe Biden signaling he’s running for president even as he seeks to address allegations of unwanted touching, the former vice president is poised to join a field of Democratic contenders that’s about two dozen strong.
The latest entries into the crowded roster of Democrats include Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado; Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio; and Miramar, Fla., Mayor Wayne Messam.
Though he hasn’t formally said he’s running, Biden leads the RealClearPolitics average of polls for the party’s 2020 nomination. He has pledged to be “more mindful” after a number of women complained about unwanted physical contact. Meanwhile, he has reportedly told supporters he remains “full steam ahead” and has tentative plans for a late-April campaign launch.
Read: Biden says he’ll be ‘more mindful’ about personal space after a number of complaints.
The goal for many is simply to get on the stage in June for the first of a dozen planned primary debates in the 2020 election cycle. Others hope to seize the front-runner mantle and ultimately, perhaps, a sense of inevitability.
But that is a ways down the road. The first voter verdicts will come on Feb. 3, 2020, with the Iowa caucuses.
Here is the MarketWatch list of likely candidates, in no particular order, and the status of their deliberations based on their announcements and reviews of local and national news organizations:
Name Age State of candidacy Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts 69 Running for president. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii 37 Running for president. Ex-HUD chief Julián Castro 44 Running for president. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York 52 Running for president. Former Rep. John Delaney of Maryland 55 Running for president. Andrew Yang, founder of Venture for America 44 Running for president. Sen. Kamala Harris 54 Running for president. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota 58 Running for president. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey 49 Running for president. South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg 37 Running for president. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont 77 Running for president. Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper 67 Running for president. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee 68 Running for president. Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas 46 Running for president. Marianne Williamson, author and activist 66 Running for president. Miramar, Fla., Mayor Wayne Messam 44 Running for president. Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio 45 Running for president. Former Vice President Joe Biden 76 Has said he’s very close to a decision. Leaning toward running. Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado 54 Running for president. Rep. Eric Swalwell of California 38 Said Feb. 11 he expects to make a decision “soon.” Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe 62 Said he is close to making a decision. Montana Gov. Steve Bullock 52 Has said he would not decide until May 1 when the 2019 Montana legislature adjourns. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio 57 De Blasio has made four trips to Iowa and is considering a run. His wife said the “timing is not exactly right” for a bid. Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts 40 Says he’s taking a “serious look” at running. Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams 45 Says she’s “not going to dismiss it out of hand the way others do.”
