It’s no surprise to anyone that President Trump’s decisions so far in his presidency are causing quite the stir with the Democratic population nationwide.
In fact, the president’s controversial views, actions, tweets, and statements seem to be only providing further encouragement for Democratic hopefuls to fight for their spot in the upcoming 2020 presidential election.
Even though President Trump is only in his second year of his presidency, certain Democratic politicians are already chomping at the bit to be able to become Trump’s successor.
In fact, Democratic hopefuls looking to challenge President Trump in the upcoming presidential election are already setting up travel plans to visit primary states.
For instance, Bernie Sanders has already made the announcement that he is traveling to Iowa. This is significant, as the state holds the first vote in the presidential primaries.
However, Bernie Sanders isn’t the only one with his eye on the prize. There’s at least 12 other Democrats who are traveling to important early primary states, such as Iowa and New Hampshire.
The following list, brought to you by The Hill, lists the possible 2020 contenders. The names in the list are shown in order of the individuals who are already visiting these primary states the most.
Former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander: 10 trips to Iowa, 7 trips to New Hampshire
Kander, a former Missouri secretary of State who ran a surprisingly strong Senate race in 2016, appears to have an affinity for the Hawkeye and Granite states. He’s averaged more than one trip a month since 2016 to one of the early primary states.
He’s lent a hand to a handful of local candidates in both states, leading fundraisers and holding events. He’s also attended local Democratic fundraisers and academic events, according to the Iowa Starting Line blog, which tracks candidate visits to the key state.Kander, 36, is also building his profile in the party with a political organization meant to fight voter suppression.
Maryland Rep. John Delaney: 7 trips to Iowa, 5 trips to New Hampshire
As the only major candidate who has already declared a presidential bid, Delaney has had a very active travel schedule.
He’s returning to Iowa over Presidents Day weekend for his seventh swing through Iowa, where he’s launched a monthlong $1 million ad buy meant to introduce himself to voters and highlight a bipartisan streak.
And he’s a frequent visitor to New Hampshire, where the 54-year-old lawmaker held a slew of campaign-style events meant to introduce himself to local leaders and voters.
Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley: 5 trips to Iowa, 3 trips to New Hampshire
O’Malley may have ended his 2016 presidential campaign after barely registering on the scoreboard in the Iowa caucuses, but his travel schedule makes him look like a man who still has his eye on the White House.
O’Malley’s leadership PAC commissioned a poll of his standing in Iowa last year and the former governor has been one of the more active Democratic surrogates for local candidates in both Iowa and New Hampshire.
After an initial stop in New Hampshire in April for a few campaign-style events, O’Malley, 55, returned to the state twice more in 2017 to campaign for local Democratic candidates. He also traveled to Iowa five times, according to Iowa Starting Line, where he campaigned for four local candidates and spoke at a variety of events.
Sanders: 3 trips to Iowa, 2 trips to New Hampshire
The senator has a busy schedule for his latest Iowa trip, campaigning for his former aide and headlining a rally in Cedar Rapids against the GOP’s recent tax plan.
Sanders’s trip to Iowa will be his third since the election. The 76-year-old senator stopped by Des Moines once in July for an Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement event and returned to the state a month later for a swing through Iowa City while promoting his book “Bernie Sanders Guide to Political Revolution.”
He’s also been to New Hampshire twice — once just weeks after the election to promote another book, and again last September for an American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations Labor Day breakfast.
Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan: 2 trips to Iowa, 3 trips to New Hampshire
Ryan made noise in the House last year when he launched a failed bid to oust House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). While he wasn’t successful, he’s raised his profile by calling for Democrats to make stronger inroads to the working class.
Ryan, 44, delivered a graduation speech at Iowa’s Maharishi University graduation last June, and returned to the state for the Polk County Democrats’ Steak Fry with Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.). He’s also visited New Hampshire on three occasions, according to New Hampshire television station WMUR.
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar: 2 trips to Iowa
The Minnesota senator may not have the national name recognition of some of the top Democratic presidential hopefuls, but she’s also started visiting Iowa.
Klobuchar, 57, spoke to the Linn County Phoenix Club in Marion in May, and attended a fundraiser for the Polk County Democrats. A few months later, she returned to the crucial early state for a speech at Iowa State University.
Former Vice President Joe Biden: 1 trip to New Hampshire
After keeping a low profile in the early months of the Trump administration, Biden, 75, is kicking up his political activity. He spoke at an annual dinner hosted by the New Hampshire Democratic Party in April, and plans to be a frequent campaigner for Democrats in the midterms.
Former Secretary of State John Kerry: 1 trip to Iowa
Kerry, who represented Massachusetts in the Senate before becoming secretary of State during the Obama administration, won both the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary during his 2004 presidential bid.
And while Kerry will be almost 77 years old on Election Day of 2020, he’s still seen as a possible Democratic candidate.
Kerry traveled to Iowa last December to campaign for Attorney General Tom Miller. While there, he slammed Trump for retweeting anti-Muslim hoax videos.
South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg: 1 trip to Iowa
Buttigieg, 36, rose to prominence in the months after the election as he waged a surprise campaign to lead the Democratic National Committee.
Part of the younger tier of Democratic leaders, the openly gay mayor has spoken at a variety of Democratic events, including one trip to Iowa for the Progress Iowa Corn Feed.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio: 1 trip to Iowa
De Blasio is one of the handful of New Yorkers who appears to be considering a bid against Trump in 2020. De Blasio, 56, traveled to Iowa in December to speak at a dinner for Progress Iowa, a progressive group in the state.
Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley: 1 trip to Iowa
Merkley, the only senator to back Sanders’s presidential bid in 2016, has carved out a niche for himself in the Senate as the top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee.
Merkley, 61, took one trip to the Hawkeye State in September, joining Buttigieg at the Progress Iowa Corn Feed.
Moulton: 1 trip to Iowa
Moulton, 39, who joined Ryan at the Steak Fry, is another new face on the national Democratic scene who has also called for new leadership in the party.
He’s spent the 2018 cycle endorsing fellow military veterans mounting bids for Congress, and has raked in serious cash for both his political organization and his endorsed candidates.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti: 1 trip to New Hampshire
Garcetti chose not to run for higher office in his own state in 2018, raising speculation he could be interested in a presidential bid.
The 47-year-old mayor of America’s second-largest city dropped by New Hampshire last August to campaign for a candidate in the Manchester mayoral race who ultimately won.