Presidential Primaries Primer: Democratic Candidate Profiles Published August 31, 2015 National Journal Presentation Credits Producers: Christine Yan Director:

Presidential Primaries Primer:Democratic Candidate Profiles

Published August 31, 2015

National Journal Presentation Credits

Producers: Christine YanDirector: Afzal Bari

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

Lincoln Chafee

Profile

Formerly:•Governor (RI)•Senator (R-RI)•Mayor (Warwick)

Education: Brown University, Montana State University, Bozeman

Funds raised: $392,743

Notable Endorsements:•None

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 Overview

Immigration • 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 • Voted against George W. Bush’s tax cuts and is opposed to eliminating the federal estate tax

• Wants to raise taxes on the wealthy

Education • Would make college affordable by increasing Pell grants and reducing interest on student loans

• Has no official stance on Common Core

Policy Agenda

Campaign Tagline:•Fresh ideas for America

Policy Goals:•Increase federal minimum wage•Remove unfair loopholes and tax cuts for the wealthy•Expand healthcare•Make college more affordable•Immigration reform•Reduce greenhouse gasses•End drone strikes, torture, and “warrantless” wiretaps

Recent Policy Proposals:•None

Updated: August 31, 2015

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

Hillary Clinton

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•Warren Buffett

Policy Agenda

Campaign Tagline:•Everyday Americans need a champion. I want to be that champion.

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:•Aug 26: Rural aid plan•Aug 10: College Compact•July 26: Climate Change plan•July 13: Economic policy plan


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 want to wait and see what [Obama and Kerry] decide”


? “I won’t know until I actually see what’s been negotiated”


Immigration • 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; 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

Martin O’Malley

Profile

Formerly:•Governor (MD)•Mayor (Baltimore)

Education: Catholic University of America, University of Maryland


Notable Endorsements:•Eric Swalwell•Berkley Bedell•Gary Hart•Peter Burling


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”


“I’m against bad trade deals like the TPP”Policy Issue Overview

Immigration • 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

Policy Agenda

Campaign Tagline:•Rebuild the American Dream

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

Recent Policy Proposals:•Aug 21: Social Security Expansion•Aug 13: 15 goals to rebuild American Dream•July 31: Criminal justice reform•July 14: Immigration reform•July 8: Affordable college


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;

Bernie Sanders

Profile

Currently:•Senator (I-VT)Formerly:•Rep. (I-VT)•Mayor (Burlington)

Education: Brooklyn College, University of Chicago


Notable Endorsements:•National Nurses United•Friends of the Earth

Policy Agenda

Campaign Tagline:•I believe America is ready for a new path to the future.

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

Recent Policy Proposals:•Aug 9: Racial Justice•Aug 2: Public funding of elections•July 12: Economic Agenda


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”


“The TPP must be defeated”


Immigration • Supports Obama Administration’s DACA program, but would expand it; strongly supports DREAM Act

• Against expanding guest-worker programs

Economy • Supports increased government spending to boost economy and invest in infrastructure

• Would break up largest banks

Foreign Policy • Believes ISIS should be dealt with by adjacent countries that have sufficient military resources, like Saudi Arabia

• Supports sanctions against Russia

Tax Reform • 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

Education • Plans to make tuition free at all public universities and colleges, funded by a tax on financial transactions


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

Jim Webb

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


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”


? “I was very disappointed… in the lack of transparency”


Immigration • Voted against comprehensive reform in 2007, but supports the DREAM Act

• Supports Obama’s DACA executive action

Economy • Focused on income inequality; would invest in infrastructure and adult education to boost economy

• Would target inequality with a simpler, fair tax code

Foreign Policy • 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

Policy Agenda

Campaign Tagline:•Leadership you can trust

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 re-entry programs for ex-convicts•Raise the minimum wage, but by varied amounts based on location and cost of living

Recent Policy Proposals:•None


Source: National Journal Research

Notes on Our Methodology

Total receipts from FEC July quarterly reports. Candidates with “n/a” have not reported campaign finance information as of the slide’s updated date

Summary of platform found on official campaign website

Detailed policy plans released by campaign in the months of July and August

Public endorsements from current or former politicians, organizations, and individuals of high influence; list of endorsements is not meant to be comprehensive

Documents

Presidential Primaries Primer: Democratic Candidate Profiles Published August 31, 2015 National Journal Presentation Credits Producers: Christine Yan Director: