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Editor's Note: Harris dropped out of the race on December 3rd, 2019. Below is our original article on her candidacy.

Democrat Kamala Harris is a California senator who took office at the start of Trump's presidency and became one of the most vocal foils for Trump's political nominees during heated questioning in confirmation hearings.

Current position: California senator — 2 years served

% of votes in line with Trump, per FiveThirtyEight: 17.0%

Previous roles: California attorney general (2011-2017); San Francisco district attorney (2004-2011); prosecutor

Medicare for All: Co-sponsored Sen. Bernie Sanders' bill.

Drug prices: Would allow the Department of Health and Human Services to determine a "fair price" for drugs meeting certain conditions, per the Washington Post.

Marijuana legalization: Proposed federal legalization of marijuana.

Teacher pay: Has a plan to give the average teacher a $13,500 salary increase, costing an estimated $315 billion over 10 years.

Taxes: Introduced the LIFT the Middle Class Act, which Vox's Dylan Matthews explained as an expansion of the earned income tax credit. She also proposed offering tax credits to help people pay rent.

In May, said she'd fully repeal the 2017 Republican tax law and replace it with LIFT.

Abortion: Proposed requiring states that restrict abortion access to clear new reproductive health laws with the DOJ.

Sex work: Supports decriminalizing sex work.

Death penalty: Proposes ending and has previously called for a national moratorium on the death penalty.

Guns: Proposed a ban on importing AR-15-style assault weapons. She has suggested executive orders requiring background checks, closing the "boyfriend" loophole and allowing victims to hold gun manufacturers responsible. She also supports mandatory buybacks on assault weapons.

HIV: Would require private and public insurance plans to cover Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) without copays, along with any corresponding tests. The bill would include a grant program to increase access for uninsured Americans.

Income inequality: Proposes investing $100 billion in black homeownership to close the racial inequality gap.

Domestic terrorism: Would create a federal "red flag" law and background checks.

Climate: Wants a new "climate pollution fee" on industry, and to incorporate her "climate equity act."

Criminal justice: Proposed a plan to end mass incarceration, help felons reintegrate into society and increase oversight of police and prosecutors. 

Childcare: Offered 6 months' paid family leave, childcare subsidies and free preschool for low- and moderate-income families.

Student debt: Proposes student loan forgiveness for those making less than $100,000 a year, free community college, making attending university debt-free and interest-free student loans.

Based on cases she argued and policies she enacted as California's attorney general:

She defended the death penalty as attorney general, despite being personally against it.

She didn't take a position on Proposition 47, approved by voters, that reduced some felonies to misdemeanors.  

Opposed a bill that would have required her office to investigate police shootings.

She is the first senator of Jamaican or Indian ancestry.

Go deeper: Everything you need to know about the other 2020 candidates

Kamala Harris on the issues, in under 500 words

Democrat Kamala Harris is a California senator running for president.

Kamala Harris behind a podium at her campaign announcement

Kamala Harris. Photo: Mason Trinca/Getty Images

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Kamala Harris

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Editor&#x27;s Note: Harris <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="dropped out" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/kamala-harris-drops-out-2020-campaign-50c45cbe-e917-4004-996c-1096b2a61a80.html" data-vars-content-id="00a60a29-6560-4746-ab68-a4c508554a1f" data-vars-headline="Kamala Harris on the issues, in under 500 words" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/kamala-harris-drops-out-2020-campaign-50c45cbe-e917-4004-996c-1096b2a61a80.html" target="_self">dropped out</a> of the race on December 3rd, 2019. Below is our original article on her candidacy.

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

Editor's Note: Williamson dropped out of contention for the Democratic presidential nomination on Friday, Jan. 10, 2020. Below is our original article on her candidacy.

Self-help author and spiritual adviser Marianne Williamson, who has never before held public office, says she's running for president because the country is in need of a "moral and spiritual awakening." Williamson has penned 13 books, four of which have been New York Times number one bestsellers. She has officially qualified for the DNC debates, having reached 65,000 individual donors.

Current position: Spiritual leader, author and activist

Undergraduate: Pomona College (left after 2 years)

Date candidacy announced: January 28, 2019

Previous roles: In 2014, Williamson ran as an independent in California's 33rd district congressional race and placed fourth out of 16 candidates, winning 13.2% of the vote.

Health care: Supports a "Medicare for All model," according to her campaign website.

Education: Supports universal pre-school and free college.

Immigration: She supports DACA and a full path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants with no "serious criminal background."

Israeli-Palestinian peace process: "I don’t think the ultimate answer will be about settlements or checkpoints,” Williamson told a Jewish news site. "The work of the genuine peace builders must be on the level of the heart.” She added that the U.S. must return to "where it can be considered an honest broker" to play a useful role.

Reparations: In an interview with CNN, Williamson called for $100 billion to be paid to African Americans in reparations for slavery, with $10 billion per year distributed over 10 years.

Children: Following through on a debate-stage promise to make America the best place in the world to raise a child, Williamson has proposed establishing a new government department dedicated to children and youth. 

Staff treatment: In a 1992 article, Williamson was criticized for her interpersonal skills and management style — a claim she acknowledged she could work on. At the time, she referred to herself as "the bitch for God."

Anonymity and inexperience: Williamson has never held public office before and has less name-recognition than many of her 2020 competitors.

Williamson appeared many times on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," and was often called Oprah's spiritual adviser, according to Vox. 

Marianne Williamson on the issues, in under 500 words

Williamson, a "spiritual guru," has no previous political experience.

Marianne Williamson. Photo: Ramesh Pathania/Mint via Getty Images

Marianne Williamson

2020 election

Editor&#x27;s Note: Williamson <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="dropped out" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/marianne-williamson-drop-out-presidential-2020-d1a57b05-6780-4532-9719-c6dcc89590dd.html" data-vars-content-id="11e39a17-4437-4049-9479-daabdbd46d35" data-vars-headline="Marianne Williamson on the issues, in under 500 words" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/marianne-williamson-drop-out-presidential-2020-d1a57b05-6780-4532-9719-c6dcc89590dd.html" target="_self">dropped out</a> of contention for the Democratic presidential nomination on Friday, Jan. 10, 2020. Below is our original article on her candidacy.

Hurricane Dorian became the first major hurricane of the 2019 Atlantic season when it made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane on Sept. 1 in the Bahamas. At least 43 people in the Bahamas were killed with many others left missing. This season has, so far, seen four named hurricanes.

The big picture: NOAA's Climate Prediction Center is forecasting a "near normal" season this year. It's also predicting a range of 9 to 15 named storms — 4 to 8 of which could become hurricanes.

Highest classification: Subtropical storm

Andrea formed before the official beginning of hurricane season, making 2019 the fifth consecutive year in which a named tropical storm has formed before June 1, per the Washington Post.

Location: Southeast Louisiana and southwest Mississippi

Location: 455 miles south of Newfoundland

Location: Southeastern U.S., Northwestern Bahamas

Highest classification: Category 5 hurricane

First major hurricane of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season. Dorian is tied with a 1935 hurricane as the strongest Atlantic hurricane on record.

Dorian caused the most devastation in the Bahamas, killing at least 43 people and leaving many missing.

Location: Midway between Bermuda and southeast U.S.

Fernand made landfall along the coast of northeastern Mexico on Sept. 4 around 11:15 AM CDT about 35 miles north of La Pesca with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, per the NHC.

Location: Eastern tropical Atlantic (moved northwest)

Highest classification: Extratropical cyclone

Location: Bahamas, Bermuda, southeastern U.S.

Highest classification: Category 3 hurricane

Location: The Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands

Highest classification: Category 2 hurricane

Be smart: Names are given to tropical storms when they have sustained wind speeds higher than 39 mph. Once a storm reaches sustained winds of 74 mph or higher, it's considered a hurricane, and it maintains the same name it was given when it became a tropical storm.

The Atlantic Basin's tropical storms and hurricanes in 2019

Tropical storm Karen is set to strike Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

Debris sitting on a road after Hurricane Michael

A pile of debris near the remains of a home destroyed by Hurricane Michael in Florida. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Science

extreme weather

Extreme weather

Hurricane Dorian became the first major hurricane of the 2019 Atlantic season when it made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane on Sept. 1 in the Bahamas. At least 43 people in the Bahamas were killed with many others left missing. This season has, so far, seen four named hurricanes.The big picture: NOAA&#x27;s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting a &quot;near normal&quot; season this year. It&#x27;s also predicting a range of 9 to 15 named storms — 4 to 8 of which could become hurricanes.

A look at the scientific breakthroughs changing the world, explorations in space and in worlds beyond our own and the threats posed to us by our own planet, both out of our control and of our own making.

Editor's Note: Castro dropped out of contention for the Democratic presidential nomination on Jan. 2, 2020. Below is our original article on his candidacy.

Julián Castro, the first Texas Democrat to run for president since 1976, is a former San Antonio mayor and the youngest cabinet secretary in the Obama administration. Castro was among those considered to be Hillary Clinton's vice president in 2016 and, while he didn't get the spot, made frequent appearances with Clinton during the election.

Previous roles: Obama's Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Mayor of San Antonio, member of San Antonio City Council

Housing: Launched a plan in June to create more affordable housing and end homelessness.

Medicare for All: Supports it. Says the U.S. should "be the healthiest nation," per the Hill.

Education: Released a plan that would create a universal pre-K program and create tuition-free public colleges, community colleges, technical and vocational programs. Pre-K would be funded by a grant program to state and local governments.

Economic inequality: Proposed an "inherited wealth" tax in August that would "raise the capital gains rate to match the marginal income tax rate for the wealthy." The plan includes giving a $3,000 earned income tax credit to families "per child for every family of modest means."

Would raise the capital gains rate to 40% for people who earn $400,000+ a year.

Immigration: Would reverse Trump policies such as the Muslim ban, spending on a southern border wall and cuts to refugee programs in his extensive immigration policy. 

Proposed a 21st Century Marshall Plan for Central America to focus on stabilizing the countries with the largest number of migrants coming to the U.S.

Wants to split ICE in half to keep "national security functions such as human and drug trafficking and anti-terrorism investigations within the Department of Homeland Security."

Plans to overhaul the pathway to citizenship for immigrants, especially for DACA recipients.

Abortion: "I believe in a woman's right to choose, it is an issue of reproductive freedom and justice," he said in April.

Law enforcement: Proposed a police reform plan to limit deadly force, end stop-and-frisk and demilitarize police.

Indigenous peoples: Wants a White House Council on Indigenous Communities and advisory committees for Cabinet-level agencies.

Animal welfare: Would seek to strengthen the Endangered Species Act, which has been weakened by the Trump administration.

Climate change: Focuses on environmental racism. To stop extraction of fossil fuels on public lands and end all taxpayer subsidies of fossil fuel production. Achieve net-zero emissions by 2045.

As HUD secretary, Castro faced criticism from a group of progressives — many of whom supported then-2016 candidate Bernie Sanders — over his handling of mortgage sales, Politico reported at the time.

He is 1 minute older than his identical twin brother, Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Tex).

Julián Castro on the issues, in under 500 words

Including his biographical information and stances on key issues.

Julián Castro speaks from behind a podium at a campaign event

Julián Castro. Photo: Edward A. Ornelas/Getty Images.

Politics

Julián Castro

Editor&#x27;s Note: Castro <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="dropped out" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/julian-castro-drop-out-2020-presidential-race-4d5a5928-84bb-4397-85cd-49b86866280a.html" data-vars-content-id="638b1362-cea1-456a-88a3-e83283327df4" data-vars-headline="Julián Castro on the issues, in under 500 words" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/julian-castro-drop-out-2020-presidential-race-4d5a5928-84bb-4397-85cd-49b86866280a.html" target="_self">dropped out</a> of contention for the Democratic presidential nomination on Jan. 2, 2020. Below is our original article on his candidacy.

Bernie Sanders is an independent Vermont senator whose platform has been a force in driving the party to the left. He is one of the last major candidates standing — alongside former Vice President Joe Biden — in the race for the 2020 Democratic nomination.

Current position: Senator from Vermont — 12 years served

Undergraduate: Brooklyn College, University of Chicago

% of votes in line with Trump, per FiveThirtyEight: 14.4%

Previous roles: House Representative for Vermont's at-large congressional district, Mayor of Burlington, Vermont

Medicare for All: Spearheaded a sweeping Medicare for All plan introduced in 2017.

Green New Deal: Co-sponsor and has spoken consistently about the severity of climate change.

Reproductive health care: His plan aims to codify Roe v. Wade, make birth control available over-the-counter, and ban abstinence-only sex education. He also wants to fully fund Planned Parenthood and Title X, and appoint federal judges who align with Roe v. Wade.

Taxes: Supports raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans. Proposed hiking estate taxes for millionaires and billionaires, including a top rate of 77% for estates over $1 billion.

Minimum wage: Co-sponsored a bill in April 2017 that would raise the federal minimum wage to $15. In September 2018, he introduced the Stop Bad Employers by Zeroing Out Subsidies Act, to tax companies for public benefits their workers accessed.

Voting rights: Says felons should be allowed to vote from prison.

College tuition: Plans to eliminate all $1.6 trillion of student debt and pay for it by raising taxes on Wall Street. Public universities, community colleges and trade schools would become tuition-free.

Marijuana: Co-sponsored Sen. Cory Booker's Marijuana Justice Act to legalize marijuana federally.

Agriculture: Proposed helping revitalize rural farming communities and breaking up big agriculture corporations.

Criminal justice: Promises to end "profiteering" by corporations, reform police and prison systems and end mass incarceration.

Regrets voting for Joe Biden's 1994 crime bill.

Hong Kong violence: Willing to sanction foreign officials involved in human rights abuses, including violence against demonstrators.

Education: His K-12 plan focuses on the needs of students of color and low-income students.

Labor: Wants to overhaul labor laws and increase union membership and rights.

Broadband access: Expand access and break up large companies.

Socialism: That he's too far left or the party has moved past him and he is no longer the only potential candidate who carries the "progressive" label.

Campaign staff sexual misconduct: Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign was plagued by patterns of sexism and inappropriate behavior.

Age: A recent poll found 43 of Iowa's 76 Democratic county leaders say they want a young candidate as their 2020 nominee for president.

Lack of loyalty: Despite running for president as a Democrat in 2016, Sanders has long identified as an independent and said he won't join the party.

Pragmatism: Many of Sanders' proposals would need high levels of government spending, prompting questions about how feasible some actually are.

While serving as mayor of Burlington, he recorded a folk album — titled "We Shall Overcome" — with 30 Vermont musicians.

Bernie Sanders on the issues, in under 500 words

Sen. Bernie Sanders. Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images

Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders is an independent Vermont senator whose platform has been a force in driving the party to the left. He is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="one of the last major candidates standing" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/live-results-super-tuesday-c7fb83d9-92d2-4a60-a9a6-cf7eab7a1910.html" data-vars-content-id="b823d3ce-63c7-4f41-8092-ac20a3f7294b" data-vars-headline="Bernie Sanders on the issues, in under 500 words" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/live-results-super-tuesday-c7fb83d9-92d2-4a60-a9a6-cf7eab7a1910.html" target="_self">one of the last major candidates standing</a> — alongside former Vice President Joe Biden — in the race for the 2020 Democratic nomination.

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Bernie Sanders on the issues, in under 500 words

Marianne Williamson on the issues, in under 500 words

Julián Castro on the issues, in under 500 words

Kamala Harris on the issues, in under 500 words

The Atlantic Basin's tropical storms and hurricanes in 2019