2020 presidential election: Meet the Democrats running for president

Nearly 20 Democrats remain in contention for the presidential nomination with about four and half months to go before the first caucus in Iowa on Feb. 3, 2020.

As the thresholds to qualify for the debates get tougher, the field has narrowed slightly.

Scroll down to meet the members of Congress, former representatives, mayors and political newcomers who still hope to take on President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

Michael Bennet

Age: 54

Occupations: Colorado senator since 2009; former superintendent of the Denver public schools

"If we continue to go down the path we’re going — and this isn’t just about President Trump, it’s about the politics that existed before he got there … we’re going to be the first generation of Americans to leave less opportunity, not more, to the next generation."

Joe Biden

Joe Biden speaks about foreign policy at The Graduate Center at CUNY in Manhattan on July 11. Photo Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca

Age: 76

Occupations: Former vice president; former Delaware senator

"If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are, and I cannot stand by and watch that happen."

Cory Booker

Age: 50

Occupations: New Jersey senator since 2013; former mayor of Newark

"The history of our nation is defined by collective action, by interwoven destinies of slaves and abolitionists, of those born here and those who chose America as home, of those who took up arms to defend our country, and those who linked arms to challenge and change it."

Steve Bullock

Age: 53

Occupations: Montana governor since 2013; former Montana attorney general

“We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people’s voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone.”

Pete Buttigieg

Age: 37

Occupations: Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, since 2012; former U.S. Naval Reserve officer

"There’s a new generation of voices emerging in our country. Walking away from the politics of the past and ready to deliver on our priorities. There is no ‘again’ in the real world. That’s not a bad thing. We’re ready for a fresh start."

Julián Castro

Age: 44

Occupations: Former secretary of housing and urban development; former mayor of San Antonio, Texas

"People are saying that I’m not a frontrunner in this race. I wasn’t born a frontrunner. Nobody where I grew up was a frontrunner. There are a whole lot of people in America right now that don’t feel like frontrunners. I’m going to go speak for them."

John Delaney

Age: 56

Occupations: Former U.S. representative for Maryland; businessman

"My candidacy is about putting our future first, which involves responding to the rapid changes occurring in the world, strengthening our economy, and building a new social contract that widens the doors of opportunity, makes people more secure, and ensures no one is left behind."

Tulsi Gabbard

Age: 38

Occupations: U.S. representative for Hawaii since 2013; former state legislator; major in the U.S. Army National Guard

"We need a president in the White House who’s prepared to lead from Day One, who won’t bend to the wishes of the foreign policy establishment or the military-industrial complex, who has the courage to meet with both adversaries and friends alike to deescalate tensions with these nuclear-armed countries, to do what is necessary to bring about an end to this new Cold War and nuclear arms race."

Kamala Harris

Age: 54

Occupations: California senator since 2017; former California attorney general; former San Francisco district attorney

"Truth, justice, decency, equality, freedom, democracy. These aren’t just words. They’re the values we as Americans cherish and they’re all on the line now. The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values … I’m running to lift those voices."

Amy Klobuchar

Age: 59

Occupations: Minnesota senator since 2007

"For too long leaders in Washington have sat on the sidelines while others try to figure out what to do about our changing economy and its impact on our lives, what to do about the disruptive nature of new technologies, income inequality, the political and geographic divides, the changing climate, the tumult in our world."

Wayne Messam

Age: 45

Occupations: Mayor of Miramar, Florida since 2016; owner of Messam Construction

"The gun violence epidemic continues to take far too many lives, climate change damages more homes and devastates more communities each year, skyrocketing healthcare costs cut off many Americans from the possibility of their American Dream, and crippling student loan debt leaves people of all ages with little hope for the future. Washington is not working for the American people, and these big issues need fresh eyes and bold ideas from someone closer to the people, so our voice can be heard.

Beto O’Rourke

Age: 46

Occupations: Former U.S. representative for Texas; former El Paso City Council member; founder of Stanton Street Technology Group

"This is a defining moment of truth for this country and for every single one of us. The challenges that we face right now – the interconnected crises in our economy, our democracy and our climate have never been greater, and they will either consume us, or they will afford us the greatest opportunity to unleash the genius of the United States of America. … This moment of peril produces, perhaps, the greatest moment of promise for this country and for everyone inside of it."

Tim Ryan

Age: 46

Occupations: U.S. representative for Ohio since 2003; former state legislator; author

"I understand where we need to go. The country is so divided right now that we can’t get a plan together."

Bernie Sanders

Age: 77

Occupations: Vermont senator since 2007; former member of the House of Representatives; former mayor of Burlington, Vermont

"I’m running for president so that, when we are in the White House, the movement we build together can achieve economic, racial, social and environmental justice for all."

Joe Sestak

Age: 67

Occupations: Former U.S. representative for Pennsylvania; former three-star Navy admiral

"There is a price paid in our democracy for confronting problems only when in crisis. It is the loss of faith in our government and its leaders that ravages not only our democratic process, but ultimately undermines our sense of national unity – what we stand for and what we are capable of. We need to restore that trust. We need to find a way to work together and move forward."

Tom Steyer

Age: 62

Occupations: Founder of the nonprofit NextGen America; former hedge fund manager; billionaire

"We need the broadest democracy possible to take back our government from the corporations that now control it and have stolen the rights of everyday Americans. Only a broad-based grassroots movement can restore power, fairness and prosperity to the people."

Elizabeth Warren

Age: 70

Occupations: Massachusetts senator since 2013; former law professor; former elementary school teacher; author

"Every person in America should be able to work hard, play by the same set of rules, and take care of themselves and the people they love. That’s what I’m fighting for."

Marianne Williamson

Age: 67

Occupations: Author; motivational speaker;

"It is time for us to rise up the way that other generations have risen up. … Let us make history. Let us more than make history; let us make this a more beautiful world."

Andrew Yang

Age: 44

Occupations: Entrepreneur; former tech executive

"We are experiencing the greatest technological and economic shift in human history, and it’s time that we address these problems head on. It is a campaign of ideas, one that our country desperately needs to solve the most pressing challenges to ever face humanity. Together we can build a new type of economy. One that puts people first."

Candidates who have dropped out:

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton

Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee

California Rep. Eric Swalwell

Former Alaskan Sen. Mike Gravel

Former West Virginia State Sen. Richard Ojeda