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13 on Washington's March presidential primary ballot

Published  January 7, 2020 9:29am PST
Associated Press

SEATTLE -- Thirteen Democratic candidates will appear on Washington’s March 10 presidential primary ballot. For Republicans, President Donald Trump will be the sole listed choice.

The Seattle Times reports the primary lineups were announced by the state Democratic and Republican parties on Monday, ahead of a deadline to submit candidate lists to the secretary of state’s office.

For Democrats, whose 2020 nomination battle remains in flux with a month to go before voting begins in Iowa and New Hampshire, the roster of names set to appear on Washington’s ballot includes just about everyone still running. That includes front runners such as former Vice President Joe Biden, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana.

It also includes an array of other contenders: Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, ex-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York entrepreneur Andrew Yang, California businessman Tom Steyer, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and former Maryland Rep. John Delaney.

They’ll compete for a share of Washington’s 107 delegates to the 2020 Democratic National Convention this summer in Milwaukee, where the party will officially nominate its candidate to take on Trump.

The 2020 presidential primary will mark the first time such a vote will count for Democrats. The party historically has relied on caucuses to pick presidential favorites, requiring voters to gather in schools, communities centers and homes to participate.

With the primary date moved up from May to March, and both parties participating in the all-mail election, Secretary of State Kim Wyman said she expects Washington’s vote to matter more this year. The March 10 vote will fall exactly a week after Super Tuesday, when a dozen states will hold primaries or caucuses, including California.

“I do believe Washington is going to be relevant in the process,” said Wyman, a Republican. “I think we are going to have record-breaking turnout.”