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Which Candidate Will Feminist Democrats Rally Around?
Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris are the female frontrunners — for now
For millions of voters, the 2020 United States presidential election will feel like one of the most important of their lifetime. The current administration has cast our nation into a dark and tumultuous abyss, and every day, it seems like there is a new assault on our collective humanity. It is time for a major change, and it is shameful that we have never had a woman in the highest office, despite being a majority female population.
With six women running, there are more women registered with the Federal Election Commission as candidates for a single-party nomination than at any point in history. Even with the crowded, mostly male candidate pool, I am excited about the possibilities, and I’m starting to believe that a woman can actually pull out a win against Trump if she gains the Democratic nomination.
In a recent CNN-conducted Iowa Caucus poll, the top five Democratic candidates are former Vice President Joe Biden, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and California Sen. Kamala Harris. Warren and Harris have consistently been the two highest-ranking women running, with New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand close behind. Many voters are already rallying behind their favorite candidates, making financial contributions and speaking out on social media and at rallies in support of their platforms and campaign promises.
The “meritocracy” argument, usually used to discredit women and people of color, almost always favors White, cisgender, heterosexual, Christian men.
I’ve noticed that when it comes to feminists and women’s rights activists, the support for Warren and Harris has been especially strong. Even more fascinating is that a lot of Black women are showing early support for Warren, while a lot of White women are showing early support for Harris, a biracial Black and South Asian woman. As an intersectional Black feminist woman and activist, I am interested how these allegiances will play out when the primaries roll around — who will feminist…
