Presidential Primaries Primer:
Democratic Candidate Profiles
Published: August 31, 2015
Updated: October 13, 2015
National Journal Presentation Credits
Producers: Christine Yan
Director: Afzal Bari
Lincoln Chafee
Policy Agenda
Campaign Tagline:
• Fresh ideas for America
Profile
Formerly:
• Governor (RI)
• Senator (R-RI)
• Mayor (Warwick)
Education: Brown
University, Montana
State University,
Bozeman
Funds raised:
$392,743
Notable
Endorsements:
• None
Policy Goals:
• Increase federal minimum
wage to $10.10 over three
years, indexed to inflation
afterwards
• Pass the Paycheck Fairness
Act
• Expand paid leave
• Remove unfair loopholes and
tax cuts for the wealthy
• Expand healthcare
• Support provisions of
McCain-Kennedy
comprehensive immigration
reform
• Appoint Supreme Court
justices who will overturn
Citizen’s United ruling
• Make college more affordable
• Immigration reform
• Reduce greenhouse gasses
• End drone strikes, torture,
and “warrantless” wiretaps
Recent Policy Proposals:
• Sep 25: New tax bracket for
wealthy
Updated: October 13, 2015
Legislation/Regulation
Official Stance
Affordable Care Act
 “ACA means more insured healthy Americans”
Clean Power Plan
 “I support #CleanPowerPlan”
Dodd-Frank
? n/a
Iran Nuclear Deal
 “I salute…Obama and Kerry in this historic breakthrough”
Keystone XL
 “As president, I… will not approve the Keystone pipeline”
Trans-Pacific Partnership
 “I’m in favor – I’m with President Obama on this”
Policy Issue
Immigration
Overview
•
•
Supports guest-worker programs and a path to citizenship
for immigrants living in the country unlawfully
Would offer undocumented immigrants in-state tuition
Economy
•
Supports privatizing Social Security and approving free-trade
agreements
Foreign Policy
•
Voted against the war in Iraq as a senator in 2002, supports
warming of relations with Iran and Cuba
Opposes Israeli expansion in the West Bank
•
Tax Reform
•
•
Education
•
•
Voted against George W. Bush’s tax cuts and is opposed to
eliminating the federal estate tax
Would impose new 45% tax bracket on income over
$750,000
Would make college affordable by increasing Pell grants and
reducing interest on student loans
Has no official stance on Common Core
Sources: National Journal Research; Chafee2016.com; Twitter, @LincolnChafee; Gerry Mullany, “Lincoln Chafee on the Issues,” New York Times, June 3, 2015; Up with Steve Kornacki, “Lincoln Chafee on the Issues,” MSNBC, June 13, 2015; Rachel Wellford
and Lisa DesJardins, “What does Lincoln Chafee believe? Where the candidate stands on 10 issues,” PBS NewsHour, June 3, 2015; Federal Election Commission, “2016 Candidate Summary,” July 16, 2015
Hillary Clinton
Policy Agenda
Campaign Tagline:
• Hillary for America
Profile
Formerly:
• Secretary of State
• Senator (D-NY)
• First Lady
Education: Wellesley
College, Yale Law
Funds raised:
$47,549,950
Notable
Endorsements:
• American Federation
of Teachers
• Madeleine Albright
• Andrew Cuomo
• Tom Vilsack
• Julian Castro
• Warren Buffett
Policy Goals:
• Increase investment in
infrastructure, research, and
education
• Raise federal minimum wage
• Tax breaks for working class
and small businesses
• Protect unions
• Make college affordable
• Reduce healthcare costs
• Equal pay for women
• National paid leave program
• Protect voting rights and
implement universal
automatic voter registration
• Produce 33% of electricity
using renewable energy by
2027
Recent Policy Proposals:
• Oct 8: Wall Street Reform
• Oct 5: Gun violence plan
• Sep 22: Lowering
Prescription Drug &
Healthcare Costs
• Sep 8: Campaign Finance
reform
• Sep 2: Combat Drug and
Alcohol Addiction Plan
Updated: October 13, 2015
Legislation/Regulation
Official Stance
Affordable Care Act
 “Health insurance should be affordable & available to all”
Clean Power Plan
 “It’s a good plan, and as President, I’d defend it”
Dodd-Frank
 “As president I’ll defend Wall Street reform & go beyond.”
Iran Nuclear Deal
 “An important step… will have to be enforced vigorously”
Keystone XL
 “I am opposed to the construction of…Keystone XL”
Trans-Pacific Partnership
 “I don’t believe this agreement has met [the bar]”
Policy Issue
Immigration
Overview
•
•
Supports President Obama’s DACA program, would go
further to extend it to parents of DREAMers
Advocates a path to citizenship and comprehensive reform
Economy
•
•
Prioritizes driving income growth for middle class
Aims to increase workforce participation and enact tax
breaks for firms sharing corporate profits with employees
Foreign Policy
•
Broad vision: prevent Iran from developing nuclear
weapons, defeat ISIS, “stand up to Putin,” resolve disputes
with China peacefully
Tax Reform
•
•
Would limit tax deductions for the wealthy
Advocates tweaking tax code to encourage certain
behaviors rather than pushing for comprehensive reform
Education
•
Plans to make community college free and public colleges
affordable without student loans, funded by taxes from the
wealthy
Sources: National Journal Research; Federal Election Commission, “2016 Candidate Summary,” July 16, 2015; Maggie Haberman and Amy Chozick, “Hillary Clinton Picks Up Teachers’ Union Endorsement,” New York Times, July 11, 2015; HillaryClinton.com; Twitter, @HillaryClinton; Josh Eidelson, “Courting Unions, Hillary
Clinton Says She Didn’t Work on Trans-Pacific Partnership,” Bloomberg Politics, July 30, 2015; Dan Merica and Jeff Zelany, “Hillary Clinton Won’t Answer Keystone XL Pipeline Question,” CNN, July 29, 2015; Hillary Clinton, “The New College Compact,” Medium, August 11, 2015; Howard Gleckman, “How Hillary Clinton Would
Tinker With Taxes,” Christian Science Monitor, August 12, 2015; Darlene Superville, “Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack becomes first Obama Cabinet member to endorse Clinton,” August 25, 2015; Hannah Fraser-Chanpong, “Back on the trail, Clinton presents rural policy,” CBS News, August 26, 2015; Dan Merica, “Julian
Castro to endorse Hillary Clinton next week,” CNN Politics, October 9, 2015
Martin O’Malley
Policy Agenda
Campaign Tagline:
• Rebuild the American Dream
Profile
Formerly:
• Governor (MD)
• Mayor (Baltimore)
Education: Catholic
University of America,
University of Maryland
Funds raised:
$2,006,905
Notable
Endorsements:
• Eric Swalwell
• Berkley Bedell
• Gary Hart
• Peter Burling
Policy Goals:
• Raise federal minimum wage
to $15 an hour
• Reinstate Glass-Steagall,
break up big banks
• Improve transparency in law
enforcement
• Reform prison sentencing
• Debt-free college education
at public schools
• 100% of energy from
renewable sources by 2050
• Increase families’ median net
worth by $25,000 in 10 years
• Public financing of
congressional campaigns
• End childhood hunger by
2020
• Expand Social Security
Recent Policy Proposals:
• Oct 9: Trade policy
• Oct 7: National Service &
Homeland Security Plans
• Oct 7: Financial Reform
• Oct 6: Clean Energy Future
• Oct 6: Addiction Treatment
• Oct 1: Campaign Finance
Reform
• Sep 14: Gun Reform
Updated: October 13, 2015
Legislation/Regulation
Official Stance
Affordable Care Act
 “#ACAworks”
Clean Power Plan
 “A great step forward, & I’d expand it”
Dodd-Frank
 “Not strong enough… I won’t let up on Wall Street reform”
Iran Nuclear Deal
 “I think it holds a lot of promise”
Keystone XL
 “On day one, I would reject projects like Keystone XL”
Trans-Pacific Partnership
 “I’m against bad trade deals like the TPP”
Policy Issue
Immigration
Overview
•
•
Supports comprehensive reform and a pathway to
citizenship; would welcome refugees
Would extend Obamacare benefits to all immigrants
Economy
•
•
Would expand Social Security benefits, no privatization
Would break up biggest banks and reinstate Glass-Steagall,
target income inequality
Foreign Policy
•
•
•
Supports improved relations with Cuba
Supports two-state solution for Israel and Palestine
Views nuclear Iran and extremists as biggest threats
Tax Reform
•
Plans to tax incomes above $118,500 to fund Social Security
expansion
Education
•
Would make college affordable by allowing student debt to
be refinanced, freezing public tuition rates, reducing tuition
costs, increasing Pell grants, expanding work-study
Sources: National Journal Research; MartinOMalley.com; Twitter, @MartinOMalley; Stephen Dinan, “Martin O’Malley: Give health care to illegals,” Washington Times, July 15, 2015; Clay Masters and Clare Roth, “Martin O’Malley on Minimum Wage, Iran,
and ISIS,” Iowa Public Radio, July 30, 2015; Gerry Mullany, “Martin O’Malley on the Issues,” New York Times, May 30, 2015; David Knowles, “Martin O’Malley Seizes on Hillary Clinton’s Vulnerability on Trans-Pacific Partnership,” BloombergPolitics, April 21,
2015; Federal Election Commission, “2016 Candidate Summary,” July 16, 2015; Rena Flores, “Martin O’Malley calls for Social Security Expansion,” CBS News, August 21, 2015
Bernie Sanders
Policy Agenda
Campaign Tagline:
• Feel the Bern
Profile
Currently:
• Senator (I-VT)
Formerly:
• Rep. (I-VT)
• Mayor (Burlington)
Education: Brooklyn
College, University of
Chicago
Funds raised:
$15,247,353
Notable
Endorsements:
• National Nurses
United
• Friends of the Earth
• Keith Ellison
• Raúl Grijalva
Policy Goals:
• Increase federal minimum
wage to $15 an hour by 2020
• Invest $1 trillion over 5 years
in infrastructure, creating 13
million jobs
• Reverse NAFTA, CAFTA,
PNTR trade policies
• Invest $5.5 billion in a youth
jobs program
• Expand social security
• Medicare for all, single-payer
system
• Break up big banks
• Required paid leave
• Free tuition at public colleges
• Sign Paycheck Fairness Act
• Universal childcare program
• Ban for-profit prisons
• Eliminate mandatory
minimum sentences
• Federally fund and require
body cameras for law
enforcement
Recent Policy Proposals:
• Sep 22: Fighting to Lower
Prescription Drug Costs
Updated: October 13, 2015
Legislation/Regulation
Official Stance
Affordable Care Act
 “Single-payer system would provide better care at less cost”
Clean Power Plan
 “A step forward… I support that effort”
Dodd-Frank
 “Modest piece of legislation… reckless activity still going on”
Iran Nuclear Deal
 “Not all that [I] would have liked… it beats the alternative”
Keystone XL
 “A bad deal for the country and for our planet”
Trans-Pacific Partnership
 “The TPP must be defeated”
Policy Issue
Immigration
Overview
•
•
Economy
•
•
Foreign Policy
•
•
Tax Reform
•
•
Education
•
Supports Obama Administration’s DACA program, but
would expand it; strongly supports DREAM Act
Against expanding guest-worker programs
Supports increased government spending to boost economy
and invest in infrastructure
Would break up largest banks and restore Glass-Steagall
Believes ISIS should be dealt with by adjacent countries that
have sufficient military resources, like Saudi Arabia
Supports sanctions against Russia
Plans to raise the estate tax on the wealthiest Americans
and eliminate loopholes that benefit the wealthy
Would enact a tax on Wall Street speculators
Plans to make tuition free at all public universities and
colleges, funded by a tax on financial transactions
Sources: National Journal Research; BernieSanders.com; Sanders.senate.gov, “Sanders Proposes Tax on Billionaires to Reduce Wealth Inequality,” June 25, 2015; Sanders.senate.gov, “Statement on Supreme Court Decision Upholding Health Care Law,” June 25, 2015; Sanders.senate.gov, “Sanders
Supports Iran Nuclear Deal,” August 7, 2015; Sanders.senate.gov, “News August 4,” August 4, 2015; Sanders.senate.gov, “Sanders Details Tax Plan,” July 10, 2013; Sanders.senate.gov, “Sanders Statement on Keystone XL Pipeline,” January 18, 2012; Town Hall, “Sanders: Dodd-Frank Didn’t End
‘Casino-Style Gambling,” May 6, 2015; Bernie Sanders, “The TPP Must Be Defeated,” Huffington Post, May 21, 2015; Gerry Mullany, “Bernie Sanders on the Issues,” New York Times, April 30, 2015; Federal Election Commission, “2016 Candidate Summary,” July 16, 2015;
Jim Webb
Policy Agenda
Campaign Tagline:
• Leadership you can trust
Profile
Formerly:
• Senator (D-VA)
• US Secretary of the
Navy
Education: University
of Southern California,
US Naval Academy,
Georgetown University
Law Center
Funds raised: n/a
Notable
Endorsements:
• Joe Lieberman
Policy Goals:
• Revamp the tax code so that
it is simple and fair
• Strengthen ties with
important allies, especially in
Asia and Middle East
• Fight international terrorism,
but do not occupy territory
• Create jobs by investing in
infrastructure
• Implement structured reentry programs for exconvicts
• Raise the minimum wage, but
by varied amounts based on
location and cost of living
• Create structured re-entry
programs for released
prisoners
• Return to good governance
Recent Policy Proposals:
• None
Updated: October 13, 2015
Legislation/Regulation
Official Stance
Affordable Care Act
 “Better than… nothing… hardest vote I took in the Senate”
Clean Power Plan
? n/a
Dodd-Frank
 Voted to pass Dodd-Frank in 2010
Iran Nuclear Deal
 “I have a lot of concern about this deal”
Keystone XL
 “I think it’s good, it’s good for jobs”
Trans-Pacific Partnership
? “I was very disappointed… in the lack of transparency”
Policy Issue
Immigration
Overview
•
•
Economy
•
•
Foreign Policy
•
•
Voted against comprehensive reform in 2007, but supports
the DREAM Act
Supports Obama’s DACA executive action
Focused on income inequality; would invest in infrastructure
and adult education to boost economy
Would target inequality with a simpler, fair tax code
Approves of sanctions in Russia for supporting Ukrainian
rebels; favors improved relations with Cuba
Critical of the Iran deal
Tax Reform
•
•
Supports simplification of the tax code
Plans to lower corporate tax rate, and also eliminate
loopholes that benefit the wealthy
Education
•
Would focus on three challenges: Pre-K programs, student
loans, high school drop-out rate
Sources: National Journal Research; Webb2016.com; Philip Brasher, “O’Malley pledges to fight mergers, Webb backs Keystone as Democrats stump Iowa,” Agri-Pulse, August 13, 2015; Nicholas Fandos, “Jim Webb on the Issues,” New York Times, July 2,
2015; O. Kay Henderson, “Four Democratic presidential candidates speak at Iowa AFL-CIO convention,” Radio Iowa, August 6, 2015; Laura Vozzella and Jenna Portnoy, “Jim Webb says Democratic Party has lost its way,” Washington Post, December 3, 2014;
United States Senate, “US Senate Roll Call Votes 111th Congress – 2nd Session – On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 4173 As Amended,” May 20, 2010
Notes on Our Methodology
Funds raised
Total receipts from FEC July quarterly reports.
Candidates with “n/a” have not reported campaign
finance information as of the slide’s updated date
Notable endorsements
Public endorsements from current or former politicians,
organizations, and individuals of high influence; list of
endorsements is not meant to be comprehensive
Policy goals
Summary of platform found on official campaign website
Recent policy proposals
Detailed policy plans released by campaign in the months
of September and October
Source: National Journal Research