.png)
Writer: Marlize Duncan
The last time news outlets carried the names of politicians Kamala Harris and Cory Booker in its headlines was when they both called for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh to not be appointed. But since then, there has been a major development in the lives of the two Senators. They are running for president.
As of January 21st, 2019, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Kamala Harris has been working on her campaign to become one of the next Democratic nominees.
The prosecutor and lawmaker kicked off her campaign with a video announcement on social media that included, a call to action to acknowledge the principles that Americans value and how we have limited time to keep them. If Harris becomes the Democratic nominee, she will be the first African-American and Asian-American to do so, joining political pioneers, Shirley Chisholm, and Carol Mosley‐Braun, the only two black women to appear on the Democratic Primary Ballot.
Only a week and a half following Kamala Harris, New Jersey senator and Democratic party member, Cory Booker announced he was running for president as well.
The previous mayor of Newark announced his bid with a video that focused on turning our “common pain back into our common purpose” and building our country back into a place, “where we see the faces of our leaders on television and feel pride, not shame”.
As of currently, both politicians are racking up many similarities between each other. They appeal to the likes of minorities, being that they are themselves; they use themes catering to American morals, and they both gained a spotlight when grilling Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh during Senate hearings.
These attributes, along with common policy ideas, show commonalities between the black senators. Harris and Booker both support the Green New Deal, which, according to Fortune.com, has a target of reaching, “net-zero greenhouse gas emissions within 10 years” and includes, “creating 100% renewable energy production, upgrades to infrastructure, etc.” Which tailors to the many Democratic Party members who push for environmental advocacy.
Both have also resisted the use of Super PAC’s as a way of funding their campaigns. With this being said though, it seems as though Cory Booker may have a harder time accepting his proposition. According to Huffington Post’s Kevin Robillard, in donations under $200, as of 2017-2018, FEC data shows that Kamala Harris received $4.9 million in small-dollar donations, whereas Cory Booker only made $1.4 million. If there isn’t a change in stance soon, then Booker may give in to Super PAC funding, which many Democrats argue against.
Now into February 2019, polling data shows the stark placement of Harris and Booker amongst the other Democratic candidates. Kamala leads in third with an average of 7% favorability by Democratic voters, while Cory strays in seventh with a favorability of 4.3%
There is still a long wait until the 2020 presidential election, so anything can occur. But for now, we can only watch the campaigns of Kamala Harris and Cory Booker unfold.
Sources:
Comments