A look at the 2020 candidates appearing on night two of the Democratic debate The second of two Democratic debates is being held on Thursday.
June 27, 2019, 8:19 PM ET
• 8 min read
The second round of Democratic candidates will debate on Thursday in Miami. Here are some quick facts about them.
There will be over 153 years of political experience on the debate stage.
The candidates include:
1 Vice President: Biden 4 Senators: Harris, Sanders, Bennet, Gillibrand 1 Congressman: Swalwell 1 Mayor: Buttigieg 1 entrepreneur: Yang 1 author & activist: Williamson The candidates range in age from 37 to 77 years old.
Oldest candidate: Sen. Bernie Sanders, 77 years old Second oldest candidate: Former Vice President Joe Biden, 76 years old Youngest candidate: Mayor Pete Buttigieg, 37 years old Second youngest candidate: Rep. Eric Swalwell, 38 years old They also differ in terms of experience.
Most political experience: Former VP Joe Biden, 46 years Neither best-selling author and activist Marianne Williamson nor entrepreneur Andrew Yang have ever held elected office. Mayor Pete Buttigieg will be the lone candidate on the stage tonight who has served in the United States military. Some candidates share a common background.
7 candidates attended law school: Biden, Bennet, Buttigieg, Harris, Gillibrand, Swalwell and Yang. Sen. Sanders, Biden, Gillibrand and Bennet have all served over 10 years in the United States Senate. Sen. Sanders and Sen. Harris serve together on the U.S. Senate Budget Committee. Sen. Harris and Sen. Bennet serve together on the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee. Sen. Gillibrand and Sen. Bennet serve together on the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee. One notable friendship:
Hickenlooper and Bennet have been friends for more than 15 years. They worked together when Hickenlooper served as Denver mayor, and Bennet eventually became the city's superintendent of public schools. 2020 democratic presidential candidates participate in the second night of the first 2020 democratic presidential debate at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, June 27, 2019. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images The candidates debating on Thursday are:
Former VP Joe Biden
Political Experience:
Vice President of the United States: 8 years United States Senator, Delaware: 36 years New Castle County Council: 2 years Personal quick facts:
76 years old Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania University of Delaware graduate Syracuse University law school Gold Medal of Freedom (2009) Presidential Medal of Freedom (2017) Spouse: Jill Biden, an English teacher 4 children Biden's first wife, Neilia, and their daughter, Naomi, died in a car accident in 1972, and his son, Beau, died in 2015 Sen. Michael Bennet
Political Experience:
United States Senate, Colorado: 10 years Former chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Served as Superintendent of Denver Public Schools 54 years old Born in New Delhi, India His father was an an aide to the U.S. Ambassador to India; his mother is a Holocaust survivor who emigrated to the United States from Poland in 1950 Wesleyan University graduate Yale University law school graduate Spouse: Susan Daggett Children: 3 The line up of U.S. Democratic presidential candidates who will participate in the party's second of two nights of debate in Miami on June 27, 2019, in a combination file photos (L-R top row): Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Michael Bennet. (L-R bottom row): Entrepreneur Andrew Yang, U.S. Representatives Eric Swalwell, Author Marianne Williamson, Former Gov. John Hickenlooper and Mayor Pete Buttigieg. via Reuters Mayor Pete Buttigieg
Political Experience:
Mayor of South Bend, Indiana: 7 years Conference director for former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen at the Cohen Group: Consultant at McKinsey & Company Volunteered on President Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign Navy Reserve: 2008-2017 Deployed to Afghanistan for 7 months in 2014 Personal quick facts:
37 years old Born in South Bend, Indiana Fluent in five languages Harvard University graduate Pembroke College, Oxford graduate Spouse: Chasten Buttigieg If elected, Buttigieg would be the first openly-gay president Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
Political Experience:
United States Senator, New York: 10 years Holds the seat once occupied by Hillary Clinton U.S. House of Representatives, New York: 2 years Special Counsel to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 52 years old Born in Albany, New York Dartmouth College graduate University of California, Los Angeles law school graduate Partner at Boies, Schillfer & Flexner Spouse: Jonathan Gillibrand Children: 2 If elected, Gillibrand would be the first female president Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Kamala Harris and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand pose together before the start of the second night of the first U.S. Democratic presidential candidates 2020 election debate in Miami, June 27, 2019. Mike Segar/Reuters Sen. Kamala Harris
Political Experience:
United States Senator – California: 3 years Attorney General of California: 6 years District Attorney of San Francisco: 7 years Personal quick facts:
54 years old Born in Oakland, California Howard University graduate University of California, Hastings law school graduate Spouse: Douglas Emhoff Stepchildren: 2 Harris’ parents immigrated from Jamaica and India Sister: Maya Harris served as a policy advisor for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign If elected, Harris would be the first female president Former Gov. John Hickenlooper
Political Experience:
Governor of Colorado: 8 years Chair of the National Governors Association: 1 year Mayor of Denver: 8 years 67 years old Wesleyan University graduate Born in Narberth, Pennsylvania Spouse: Robin Pringle Hickenlooper, Children: 1 Avid squash player Suffers from prosopagnosia or also referred to as “face blindness.” Sen. Bernie Sanders
Political Experience:
United States Senator, Vermont: 12 years U.S. House of Representatives, Vermont: 16 years Mayor of Burlington: 8 years 77 years old Born in Brooklyn, New York 2016 Presidential Candidate Brooklyn College graduate University of Chicago graduate Spouse: Jane O’Meara Sanders Children: 4 Rep. Eric Swalwell
Political Experience:
U.S. House of Representatives, California: 6 years Dublin City Council: 3 years Personal quick facts:
38 years old Born in Sac City, Iowa Attended Campbell University in North Carolina on a soccer scholarship. He broke both thumbs and his scholarship ended. University of Maryland, College Park graduate University of Maryland, Baltimore law school graduate Spouse: Brittany Watts Children: 2 Marianne Williamson
Political Experience:
Ran unsuccessfully for U.S. House seat in California’s 33rd district in 2014 Career: Author and activist
Author of 13 books Founder of Project Angel Food: volunteer food delivery that serves people with HIV/AIDS Frequent guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show Co-founded the Peace Alliance: a national grassroots education and advocacy group 66 years old Born in Houston, Texas Pomona College graduate Children: 1 If elected, Williamson would be the first female president Andrew Yang
Political Experience:
Received two awards from President Barack Obama. In 2015, Yang received the President Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship, a collaborative initiative tasked to measure entrepreneurial growth. In 2012, Yang received the Champions of Change award. Champions of Change highlighted communities to rise to the challenges of the 21 century. Career: Attorney and entrepreneur
Founder of Venture for America Personal quick facts:
44 years old Born in Schenectady, New York Brown University graduate Columbia University law school graduate Son of two immigrant parents from Taiwan Spouse: Evelyn Yang Children: 2