Upcoming Match-ups

2020 Democratic Candidate: A Look At The Favorites

Don Aguero

by Don Aguero in Entertainment

Updated Jan 17, 2018 · 9:38 AM PST

Kamala Harris at the podium.
Kamala Harris at the podium. Photo credit: Lonnie Tague (Wikimedia) CC License

And now for another edition of the far-too-early, way-too-soon odds for the 2020 presidential election. 

We’ve already covered the odds for the Republicans. Now it’s time for the Democrats. There are quite a few names being thrown around, from established politicians to political newcomers to celebrities. The 2020 primary will probably be nothing like 2016, when Hillary Clinton was the presumptive nominee from the get-go. Instead, we’re likely to see a hard-fought battle involving a wide panel of Democratic hopefuls.

Who are the main figures to watch right now? Let’s take a look at the front-runners and try to find some value in the odds being offered by Ladbrokes.

Odds on the 2020 Democratic nominee from Ladbrokes
Photo Credit: Ladbrokes

Elizabeth Warren: 6/1

Warren has long been a progressive hero within the Democratic party, and 2020 may finally be the year she decides to run for President. She was billed as a Democratic frontrunner in 2016 but decided not to run. If she is going to shoot for the Oval Office, 2020 will be her last chance to do so. At 68 years old, she’s already on the older side for a presidential hopeful.

She stands in stark contrast to Donald Trump and has been the target of many of his rage-tweets, which only increases her standing given how unpopular Trump is among Democrats (and, for that matter, Americans in general).

She’s repeatedly stressed that she has no intention to run for president. No politician ever admits their presidential ambitions before running, but could Warren actually be telling the truth?

It’s a little strange having the front-runner be a politician who has never shown any sign of wanting to be president. If you feel inclined to pick Warren, I suggest waiting until she starts holding “listening tours” around Iowa before throwing down some money.


Kamala Harris: 6/1

Alabama showed just how powerful the black vote, and more specifically the female black vote, can be. An increased turnout of minority and female voters led to the deep-red state sending a Democrat to the Senate for the first time in a quarter of a century.

America is becoming more diverse, and if the Democrats are smart, they will try to capitalize on the demographic shift. That’s where Kamala Harris, the junior Senator for California, comes in. She’s a candidate who would energize the Democratic base, especially female and black voters.

As far as policy goes, she’s blue through-and-through. She is pro-choice, opposes the death penalty, supports stricter gun control, co-sponsored Bernie Sanders’ “Medicare for All” bill, and refuses to budge on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

Harris is the value bet at the moment. She doesn’t have the same name recognition as the other favorites, but neither did Barack Obama in 2005. Like Obama, she’s charismatic, extremely sharp, and represents change.


Bernie Sanders: 7/1

After the 2016 election, it was hard to hear anything over the cries of, “Bernie would’ve won!”

That may or may not be true (probably true), but what’s done is done. Bernie Sanders is currently 76 and will be nearing 80 by the time the next election rolls around. I just don’t know if “Sanders 2020” is a viable ticket.

If a presidential election were held tomorrow, I would back Sanders at 7/1 in a heartbeat. He’s more popular than ever and is largely responsible for the leftward shift within the Democratic party. However, in 2020, it’s more likely that he’ll throw his weight behind a younger Bernie-esque Democrat rather than run himself.


Cory Booker: 20/1

It baffles me that Cory Booker is still among the favorites while names like Kirsten Gillibrand (25/1) and Amy Klobuchar (33/1) remain lower down the list. Booker had his moment in the sun a couple of years back but the public has since cooled on himHe will almost definitely run in 2020, but I really don’t like his chances of winning.


Hillary Clinton: 20/1

Third time’s the charm, right?

I don’t think anyone would be surprised if Hillary made another run in 2020, but I can’t fathom the Democrats giving her another shot. As it stands, she’s as unpopular as Trump and the party would do well to distance itself from her. If the Democrats pick her as their nominee, they’ll probably lose another election. And if bettors pick her to become the nominee, they’ll probably lose their money.


Celebrity Candidates

Dwayne Johnson: 20/1

Mark Zuckerberg: 20/1

Michelle Obama: 20/1

Oprah Winfrey: 20/1

George Clooney: 40/1

There are a handful of celebrities being thrown into the mix, but I wouldn’t pick any of them at their current odds. The Democrats will likely be running against Donald Trump and they’ll want a candidate who can illuminate Trump’s flaws and weaknesses. Running a celebrity candidate against another celebrity candidate would be a risky move. However, if you’re hellbent on picking a non-politician, I would recommend either Michelle Obama or Oprah Winfrey.

Author Image