PHILADEPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 22: Democratic vice preisdential nominee U.S. Sen Tim Kaine (D-VA) speaks during a campaign rally with democratic presidential nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at Dunning-Cohen Champions Field on October 22, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With just over two weeks to go before election day, Hillary Clinton is campaigning in Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
5. Tim Kaine
Who better to enter the race for president in 2020 than a 2016 candidate for vice president? Tim Kaine, as we all know, was Hillary Clinton’s running mate in the most recent election. Although Kaine would have to work on his debate skills over the next four years, he may have a good shot at earning the Democratic nomination in 2020.
Being chosen as Clinton’s running mate is quite an achievement when you consider the other top contenders. Elizabeth Warren and Julian Castro were both in the top three with Kaine. His background as Governor of Virginia and then Senator of Virginia has been a logical step towards President of the United States. He’s likable and mild to the point of being labeled as boring. Although Kaine is not as aggressive as some progressive Democrats may want him to be, he’s still capable of getting things done.
Kaine has a reputation for being able to get along with Republicans, which is important at a time when division between the two parties has increased. He’s very much a centrist, a characteristic that may be extremely important in the next election. In fact, he almost turned down the position of Chair of the Democratic National Committee just to avoid taking on a partisan position. However, his voting record shows that he’s loyal to the Democratic party, and he’s been an advocate for leftist issues such as gun control and immigration. The fact that he’s fluent in Spanish and was even the first senator to deliver a speech entirely in Spanish on the Senate floor could definitely win over Hispanic voters.