20 Democrats Who Could Run for President in 2020

PHILADELPHIA, PA – JULY 28: U.S. Representative Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) on the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center, July 28, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton received the number of votes needed to secure the party’s nomination. An estimated 50,000 people are expected in Philadelphia, including hundreds of protesters and members of the media. The four-day Democratic National Convention kicked off July 25. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

9. Tammy Duckworth

Tammy Duckworth hasn’t yet been sworn into her new Senate seat, representing the state of Illinois, but she’s already been a prominent figure in national politics. The moment she beat incumbent Senator Mark Kirk, she set quite a few records. In addition to being the first disabled woman to be elected into the House of Representatives, she also became the first Asian-American woman to represent Illinois in Congress and the first member of Congress born in Thailand.

Senator-elect Duckworth entered into politics by way of the military. Her family’s military history dates back to the Revolutionary War, and Duckworth herself served in Iraq. In 2004, she was co-piloting a Black Hawk helicopter when it was shot down by a grenade, resulting in the loss of both of her legs. Just two years later, Duckworth was appointed Director of Illinois’ Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Over the past decade, she has worked tirelessly as an advocate for veterans’ rights.

Because of Duckworth’s background, she has been popular among several different voting groups: veterans, women, and Asian-Americans. She has been on the receiving end of offensive remarks from her opponents. When she ran against Joe Walsh, he criticized her and accused her of using her veteran status to elicit sympathy, stating that “that’s all she talks about” and adding that “true heroes…it’s the last thing in the world they talk about.” Mark Kirk directed racist remarks about her ancestors’ military record, commenting that he had “forgotten that your parents came all the way from Thailand to serve George Washington.”

Tammy Duckworth has a large number of supporters, even outside of Illinois. Although she may decide that it’s too soon to run for President in 2020, it’s not surprising to already see her name circulating as a potential candidate in the near future.