It’s insane that 2020 is already almost here, isn’t it? It seems like we JUST had a presidential election, and now we’re doing it again. The 2020 election may seem a bit far off, but let me be the first to tell you it’s already knocking on our door. Here’s a timeline breakdown of how the 2020 presidential election is going to shake out. Since Trump is the incumbent and running for re-election, the primary focus will be on the Democrats choosing a nominee and a vice presidential nominee.

Currently, the individuals running for president on the Democratic side include Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Andrew Yang, Pete Buttigieg, Kirsten Gillibrand, Tulsi Gabbard, Julian Castro, John Delaney, Jay Inslee, John Hickenlooper, Beto O’Rourke, and Marianne Williamson. Some of those names probably seem more familiar than others, but that’s the game this election cycle. It’s going to be crazy.

Oh, and in 2020, we all have the Summer Olympics, lots of Congressional races, and more.

The Democratic Primary Debates: June 2019

The Democratic debates are set to begin in June 2019, which is around the corner. Everyone isn’t guaranteed a spot in the debates though. A candidate must be rolling at at least 1% nationally or in the early primary states. However, the DNC already acknowledges there may be more than 20 candidates running, so they’re going to find a way to limit the debates to only the top 20.

If you are planning to play a drinking game during the debates, you’re going to want to also enroll in Alcoholics Anonymous because there are a ton of them scheduled. While specific dates and channels aren’t announced yet, they’re on the table for every month in the last half of 2019, June through December, as well as January, February, March, and April of 2020. By then, it should be pretty clear who the winner is going to be.

Iowa Caucus: February 3, 2020

While the people of Iowa may not be super representative of the rest of the U.S., winning the first primary, the Iowa Caucus, is a huge boon for a presidential candidate. The 2020 Iowa Caucus is scheduled for February 3, 2020. In 2016, Hillary Clinton barely beat Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz beat Donald Trump.

Super Tuesday: March 3, 2020

Super Tuesday is the big primary day. Many states get called and doing poorly on Super Tuesday can spell doom for a campaign, if you even make it to Super Tuesday. In 2020, Super Tuesday falls on March 3rd. You can stay tuned for the results from states like California, Minnesota, Texas, Virginia, and North Carolina.

Democratic National Convention: July 13-16, 2020

The Democratic delegates and super delegates will head to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in mid-July 2020. We all know the joke about Hillary Clinton not even visiting Wisconsin in 2016, so this is likely going to be a big push for that midwestern vote. At the same time, let’s hope the field is a little more sparse for Democrats so people don’t start duking it out on the convention floor.

Republican National Convention: August 24-27, 2020

The Republican National Convention will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina in August 2020. It is an almost an entire month after the Democratic convention. It’s likely to be a much less interesting convention though, with a Republican incumbent in office.

General Election Debates: September 2020

Because the candidates aren’t set in stone yet, we also don’t have general election debates set in stone, no specific dates, et cetera. They’ll likely begin in late August/early September of 2020 and carry through October on the major networks.

Election Day: November 3, 2020

How is this so close but so far away? America will go to the polls on Tuesday,  November 3, 2020, to select a president. Will Donald Trump get a second term, or will he be ousted by a Democratic contender?

Aryssa D
FFL Cabinet Member