The 2020 election is coming up next November 2020, and it’s important to get to know the twenty-one candidates running. The Republican Party has three candidates, current President Donald Trump being one of them. With his popularity, the hopes of another Republican candidate passing through the primaries are low. The urgent push to unseat the President has been the rallying cry of many of the Democratic candidates. The Democratic Party has a large number of candidates, with former Vice President Joe Biden leading in the polls ahead of the seventeen other current runners.  Given the wide range of policies and priorities presented by the democratic candidates, it can be hard to figure out who to vote for and why, leaving many voters asking themselves what they most care about. So far, several Bronx Science students have an idea of who they plan on signing the ballot for in 2020. 

For Elijah Fernandez ’20, progressiveness is the key factor in a candidate. He values someone who can lead the country forward by bringing sweeping reforms to systems that have been breaking down. He has high hopes for some of the candidates’ plans to combat the immense wealth gap between American citizens. In Fernandez’s eyes, Elizabeth Warren is just the right person. “I really like her progressive campaign promises,” Fernandez said. He believes her policies like Medicare for All, improving public school education, and taxing the wealthy, are necessary changes. 

“What sets [Elizabeth Warren] apart from the other candidates are her policies. She has clear cut plans for the issues in America, and has a guide for what to do to make a change,” said Elijah Fernandez ’20.

Because there are twenty-one runners in the primaries for the Democratic Party, it can be confusing to see just what sets people apart. The differences between the candidates’ stances on the issues can be very intricate and minute in many cases, so it can be overwhelming to see it all. One example is seeing what exactly sets Warren apart from Bernie Sanders, a senator from Vermont with similar ideals. He fights for issues that Warren does as well, yet the way they approach the problem is different. Fernandez says, “What sets her apart from the other candidates are her policies. She has clear cut plans for the issues in America, and has a guide for what to do to make a change.” He credits her concrete ideas on the proper course of action to take to lead America into a new age. 

However, not everyone is satisfied with the current campaigns. Even the Student Body President, Anthony Bonavita ’20, doesn’t have a candidate he is ready to side with yet. “No candidate is going to be the exact fit for any person,” said Bonavita. “I haven’t come to a decision because the majority of media coverage on the candidates has been on their flaws rather than their success. It’s harder for me to hone into one candidate because of this.” Outside factors, such as news sources and media, are important when it comes to learning more about the candidates as well, as Bonavita demonstrates.  

Not all Bronx Science students know exactly what is going on in politics. The potential runners and the various different policies and campaigns can be confusing. Yet, with the new generation growing up and being able to vote, the demographics of the country are changing. More and more teenagers are taking it upon themselves to learn about the candidates running and their policies to have a sense of the future they want. They do this because they know that the future is in our hands.