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| Campaign | 2020 United States presidential election (Democratic Party primaries) |
|---|---|
| Candidate | Amy Klobuchar United States senator from Minnesota (2007–present) County Attorney ofHennepin County, Minnesota (1999–2007) |
| Affiliation | Democratic Party |
| Announced | February 10, 2019 |
| Suspended | March 2, 2020 |
| Headquarters | Minneapolis,Minnesota |
| Key people | Justin Buoen (campaign manager)[1] Julia Kennedy (deputy campaign manager)[1] Michael Schultz (national finance director)[1] Rosa Po (policy director)[2] Nathan Nye (digital director)[2] Carlie Waibel (national press secretary)[2] Elise Convy (deputy national finance director)[2] Sam Clark (special advisor)[2] Jeff Blodgett (special advisor)[1] Brigit Helgen (senior advisor)[2] |
| Receipts | US$28,950,479.25[3] (December 31, 2019) |
| Slogan | Let’s get to work (unofficial) |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
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U.S. Senator from Minnesota Presidential campaign
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The 2020 presidential campaign ofAmy Klobuchar, the seniorUnited States senator from Minnesota, was formally announced on February 10, 2019, inMinneapolis. Prior to her announcement,Klobuchar had been discussed as a potential candidate for the office by multiple news publications.
Klobuchar pitched herself as a moderate choice within the2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. Her platform included investments in infrastructure, apublic option for health insurance as a pathway to universal healthcare, ensuring election security, overturning theCitizens United ruling, protecting online consumers by requiring transparency of terms, and promoting agriculture to spur rural job growth. She opposed free four-year college tuition, aGreen New Deal, or immediatesingle-payer healthcare as being unrealistic.
Klobuchar suspended her campaign on March 2, 2020, following poor results in theSouth Carolina primary and one day beforeSuper Tuesday. She endorsedJoe Biden for the presidency.[4] Her failure to gain significant support among primary voters was attributed to competition with a large number of moderate competitors, a failure to attract nonwhite voters, and a lack of campaign funds.
Klobuchar was described byThe New York Times in 2008 andThe New Yorker in 2016 and by theStar Tribune in 2012 as one of the women most likely to become the first femalePresident of the United States.[5][6][7]
In January 2019, Klobuchar was reported to be seriously considering entering theDemocratic Party primaries for the2020 United States presidential election.[8][9][10] Klobuchar placed fourth among Democratic potential candidates in a December 2018 poll of Iowa voters.[11]
On February 5, 2019, Klobuchar announced she would make a "major announcement" on February 10 about a presidential bid.[12] That day, theIowa Democratic Party announced that Klobuchar would be giving thekeynote address at a banquet inAnkeny, Iowa, on February 21.[13]The Washington Post's national columnistJennifer Rubin wrote that Klobuchar would be a moderate candidate with significant rural policy experience, and would be well positioned in Iowa (which borders Klobuchar's home state of Minnesota). Rubin also wrote that Klobuchar could make an excellent vice-presidential candidate.[14]
Klobuchar's allegedly harsh treatment of her Senate staff received some media coverage before her announcement.[15][16] In February 2019,Buzzfeed News, citing anonymous sources, reported that Klobuchar's congressional office was "controlled by fear, anger, and shame".[17] Interviews with former staffers indicated that Klobuchar frequently abused and humiliated her employees, with as much staff time spent on managing her rage as on official business.[17] In particular, Klobuchar received national attention for an alleged incident in which she berated a staffer for neglecting to bring a fork onto an airplane so that Klobuchar could eat a salad; Klobuchar reportedly ate the salad, used a comb as a utensil, and ordered her staffer to clean the comb afterwards.[18][19][20][21][22][23] However, over 60 of Klobuchar's current and former staffers co-signed an open letter disputing these accounts.[24] Klobuchar later confirmed that she had eaten a salad with a comb and acknowledged that she can be a tough boss, but described the incident as a "mom thing".[25][26][27]
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Klobuchar held acampaign announcement rally atBoom Island Park in Minneapolis on February 10, 2019.[28]
Within 48 hours of her announcement, the Klobuchar campaign raised over $1 million, with more than 95% coming from donors who gave less than $100. Klobuchar said during her announcement that she would not take money fromSuper PACs.[29]
In the week following her announcement, Klobuchar campaigned inSouth Carolina,[30] Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and New Hampshire.
Rachel Maddow, who has covered Klobuchar for years, had a long interview with her on February 11.George Stephanopoulos also interviewed her onGood Morning America.CNN hosted atown hall event with Klobuchar in New Hampshire on February 18.[31]
On August 2, 2019, Klobuchar's campaign announced that she had qualified for the SeptemberDemocratic presidential debates by achieving the 2% polling threshold and gaining 130,000 unique donors.[32]
Klobuchar's campaign announced a fundraising haul of $4.8 million for the third quarter of 2019. Her campaign passed the threshold of 165,000 individual donors required for participation in the November Democratic presidential debate,[33][34] and the 3% polling threshold to participate in the November debates on October 24, 2019.[35] She also qualified to participate in the December debate,[36] where her performance led her campaign to raise more than a million dollars in the day following the debate.[37]
In January 2020, an Associated Press investigation revealed new evidence and various inconsistencies in Klobuchar's handling of the case ofMyon Burrell, anAfrican-American teenager who was sentenced to life in prison over the murder of 11-year-old Tyesha Edwards in 2002.[38] Upon this revelation, civil and racial rights groups including the MinneapolisNAACP,Black Lives Matter Twin Cities and other groups and affiliated and unaffiliated activists called on Klobuchar to suspend her presidential campaign.[39][40] Klobuchar faced sustained scrutiny about this issue, facing these lingering questions at the subsequentNew Hampshire and Nevada debates.[41][42] Burrel's sentence was later commuted to 20 years by the Minnesota Board of Pardons in December 2020, with his last two years being held with supervised release rather than prison.[43]
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In the2020 Iowa Democratic caucuses, Klobuchar received 12% of the vote and earned one pledged delegate.
Klobuchar's popularity and polling numbers surged in the week between the Iowa caucuses and the2020 New Hampshire Democratic primary, rising dramatically after theFebruary 7, 2020, Democratic Party presidential debate.[44][45][46] In the 48 hours following the debate, her campaign received $3 million in donations and she began polling in third place, ahead ofElizabeth Warren andJoe Biden.[47][48][49]
In theNew Hampshire Primary, Klobuchar led the midnight vote in the three tiny townships ofDixville Notch,Millsfield, andHart's Location.[50] Her surge carried her to a surprising third-place finish, ahead of previous front-runners Warren and Biden.[51] She received six pledged delegates.[52] In both Iowa and New Hampshire, Klobuchar's vote total was higher than polls had projected.[53][54]The Spectator described Klobuchar as "replacing Warren as the leading woman in the race and Biden as the moderate centrist."[55]
Klobuchar said in the New Hampshire debate, “If you have trouble stretching your paycheck to pay for that rent, I know you, and I will fight for you.” This was described as one of the most memorable deliveries of the debate, and a turning point in Klobuchar's campaign.[56]
In some outlets, her sudden popularity and third-place finish became a headline story[57] about "Klomentum"[58][59][60] or "Klobucharge".[61]
Klobuchar headed forNevada where her staff was on the ground and she hoped voters will maintain momentum.[62][51] She had staff working in Nevada since November, and opened a Nevada field office the first weekend in January.[63][64]Politico described the "hostile" media interviews she began to face as "a sign of her arrival as a serious contender."[65][66] Eventually, Klobuchar finished sixth in theNevada caucuses, with 9.6% of the first alignment vote, 7.3% of the final alignment vote and 4.2% of the county convention delegates.
Klobuchar then turned her focus toSouth Carolina,[67] where Emerson College Polling director Spencer Kimball predicted that she would be popular with voters "looking for a candidate with experience."[68] She had campaign staff in South Carolina since May 2019.[69] During her first campaign trip to South Carolina in February 2019, Klobuchar spoke inGreenville andColumbia, before crossing the Georgia border to have lunch with Roselynn and Jimmy Carter at their home.[30] Klobuchar finished sixth in theSouth Carolina primary, with 3.1% of the vote and 0 delegates.[70]
| Primary Contest | Place | Percentage | Delegates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 5th | 12% | 1 |
| New Hampshire | 3rd | 19% | 6 |
| Nevada | 6th | 4% | 0 |
| South Carolina | 6th | 3% | 0 |
After a poor showing in the South Carolina primary, the Klobuchar campaign weighed the decision whether to drop out beforeSuper Tuesday. Initial polling showed Klobuchar having a double-digit lead in Minnesota; campaign strategists believed that Klobuchar winning Minnesota would have helped Joe Biden by denying Bernie Sanders delegates.[71] On March 2, the day before Super Tuesday, Klobuchar announced that she was suspending her campaign. Klobuchar canceled a scheduled campaign rally inDenver, Colorado and flew down toDallas, Texas to announce her endorsement of Joe Biden.[71]
In an analysis of why the campaign did not gain momentum,FiveThirtyEight cited Klobuchar's inability to attract non-white voters and a failure to stand out amongst a competitive field of moderate candidates, namely Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg.[72]MinnPost noted that Klobuchar spent a large amount of resources in Iowa, which left the campaign low on funds to compete in the February primaries that followed.[73]
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Klobuchar pitched herself as moderate and pragmatic, willing to tell voters no when she believes a specific proposal is not in the best interests of the nation.[74][75]
As a U.S. Senator, Klobuchar has made increasing insurance programs for farmers impacted bysevere weather and market fluctuations a priority. Her agriculture concerns have made her interested in trade as well.[76]
Klobuchar advocated reform ofEPA rules concerning biofuel credits for theRenewable Fuel Standard. She proposed reevaluating loopholes for oil refineries that forgo ethanol additives, claiming that such waivers disadvantage corn farmers.[77]
On August 7, 2019, Klobuchar released a plan focused on increasing rural job growth. Key policies centered on federal subsidies for crop insurance, disaster aid, resource conservation, andbroadband Internet access. Klobuchar also proposed expanding anti-poverty programs for rural Americans.[78][79]
Klobuchar said during the CNN Town Hall that while she likes the idea of aGreen New Deal, it was not realistic. She said it was aspirational to believe all the proposals could be enacted in 10 years and acknowledged that along the way to becoming law, compromises would need to happen.[75]
Klobuchar said that during her first 100 days in office, she would reinstate theClean Power Plan and gas mileage standards and propose legislation to invest in green jobs and infrastructure. She also said that on her first day, the U.S. would rejoin theParis Climate Change Agreement.[80]
In 2018, Klobuchar introduced a bill with SenatorJohn Kennedy (R-LA) with the goal, among other things, of increasing the clarity of online terms of service and requiring more transparency regarding what data companies gather and share.[76] Because of her early focus onconsumer safety issues, theNew York Times nicknamed her "The Senator of Small Things", to which Klobuchar responded that she does not "view these as small things".[76]
Klobuchar began her career as a prosecutor. Her reputation for having been a "tough on crime" prosecutor who took part in the "war on drugs" is viewed by some as setback.[81]
After the2019 El Paso shooting, she published an anti-hate crime proposal. The plan entails directing federal law enforcement againstwhite supremacists and expanding protections for targeted communities.[82][83]
Klobuchar does not support free, four-year college for all, saying that while she wished she could make it happen, it was not realistic. Instead, she proposed allowing students to more easily refinance theirstudent loans, makingcommunity colleges free, and extendingPell Grants to a wider group of recipients.[75]
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In her announcement speech, Klobuchar said she supported anamendment to theU.S. Constitution to overturn theSupreme Court's decision inCitizens United v. FEC. She also advocated restoring theVoting Rights Act and automaticvoter registration for every 18 year old U.S. citizen.[80]
FollowingRussian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections, she introduced legislation in 2017 in the Senate to bring more online communications under the oversight ofelection law, with the goal of increasing the transparency of online election advertising. It would also requiresocial media companies to maintain more information on advertisement buyers and who they target. The bill was endorsed by bothFacebook andTwitter but failed in the Senate.[76]
While Klobuchar has pushed for reductions in healthcare costs, she has not called for an overhaul of the entire system like other 2020 candidates. She has not supported theMedicare-for All plan proposed by 2016 candidate and 2020 candidate SenatorBernie Sanders (I-VT). She does, however, support a path touniversal healthcare, believing a good first step would be apublic option, allowing Americans to opt-in to government-run health insurance instead of finding private plans.[76] During the CNN Town Hall, Klobuchar stated that Medicare-for-All "could be a possibility in the future", but she was looking for solutions "that will work now". She said her priorities would be expandingMedicare andMedicaid, improving theACA, and creating a public option.[75]
During her time in the Senate, Klobuchar has repeatedly pushed for ways to lower the costs of prescription drugs. She has introduced legislation encouraging the development of cheaper, generic versions of name-brand drugs. She has also supported allowingMedicare to directly negotiate the prices of drugs with pharmaceutical companies.[76]
On May 3, 2019, Klobuchar released a $100 billion proposal to combat addiction and theopioid crisis. The plan specified funding and services for prevention, treatment and recovery; the funding would be generated from a per-milligram tax onopioids and a "master settlement" with opioid manufacturers.[84]
On July 12, 2019, Klobuchar announced a proposal for improving senior healthcare. The plan detailed research for chronic diseases such asAlzheimer's disease, an expansion of retirement savings and pensions, investments in long-term care, and a new senior fraud prevention office. Funding would come from closingtax loopholes for inherited wealth.[85][86]
Klobuchar voted for the2013 Senate immigration reform bill[87] and still supports comprehensive immigration reform.[88]
In a March 28, 2019 post onMedium, Klobuchar announced herinfrastructure plan. She described it as her "top budget priority" and said she would focus on getting it passed during her first year in office. Her focus will be:
In all, Klobuchar says her plan will cost $1 trillion to the U.S. government. To pay for this investment, her plan includes raising federal investment in infrastructure; assisting state and local governments in getting donations from private companies/individuals; issuing "Move America", "Build America", and clean energybonds to local and state governments for funding; ensuring infrastructure-designated revenue collected is used for their intended purpose; and instituting corporate tax reforms to bring in additional revenue, including making thecorporate tax rate 25%, closing loop holes, and increasing tax enforcement efforts.[89]
Klobuchar has cited her concern with the growingnational debt as one of her main reasons for opposing proposals such as Medicare-for-All and free college. She said during a CNN Town Hall that she does not "want to leave that on the shoulders" of the next generation and specifically called out theTrumpAdministration for allowing the national debt to grow.[75]
During her announcement speech, Klobuchar pushed for strengthening the U.S.'scyber security and guaranteeingnet neutrality nationwide. She also said that by 2022, every U.S. household should be connected to the internet.[80]
Klobuchar has urgedPresident Trump to quickly renegotiate trade deals and end Chinesetariffs that hurt the agriculture industry in the U.S. She supportedTrump's steel and aluminum tariffs.[76]
