Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz took to Twitter Saturday for a lengthy thread discussing Democratic strategy ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
“We must reject the premise that this is a fight between moderates and progressives,” he wrote. “We are going to nominate a progressive.”
The Democrat said his party saw success in 2018 running on policy issues and against corruption, and that grassroots donors helped expand the playing field. Schatz also said that a progressive candidate nominated by the party should be able to attract voters from both parties.
“Everyone who wants to run should run,” he said. “Primaries can and do strengthen the Party.”
4th, everyone who wants to run should run. Primaries can and do strengthen the Party. If you are a governor or a mayor or a senator or member of the house or TV star – and you think you can help the country, try it!
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) November 24, 2018
Schatz said “all of my friends appear to be running which is good.” The 2020 Democratic primary is already attracting a large field, with up to 50 prominent Democrats rumored to be interested and more than 400 candidates reportedly having already filed.
Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Kamala Harris, D-Calif., former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, and former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton have all been discussed as potential candidates.
Attorney Michael Avenatti, who represented porn star Stormy Daniels in her legal wrangling with President Trump, has expressed his intention to run for president in 2020, and appeared at an August Democratic fundraiser in Iowa regarded as a presidential campaign stop.
Schatz, however, said there were “no circumstances under which” he would among the 2020 contenders.
There are no circumstances under which I will run. Zero.
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) November 24, 2018
