The best argument for each of the 2020 Democratic frontrunners

Amanda Northrop/Vox

The Democratic primary started with the biggest and most diverse field of contenders ever. It’s been winnowed down since then, but voters remain divided on the best choice to face off against President Trump in November.

Vox does not endorse candidates. But Vox writers have made what they see as the best argument for each frontrunner, defined in most cases as a candidate who passed 10 percent in the national polling averages.

Here are their arguments:

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Bernie Sanders can unite Democrats and beat Trump in 2020

by Matthew Yglesias

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is best known for his calls for a political revolution. But Sanders himself, Vox’s Matthew Yglesias argued in January, is more pragmatic than his critics give him credit for, unorthodox in important ways on foreign and monetary policy, and uniquely capable of unifying the Democratic Party against Trump.

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Elizabeth Warren has the best shot at a transformative presidency

by Ezra Klein

The three best arguments for nominating Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Ezra Klein wrote in January: She understands America’s problems better than anyone else in the field. She understands how to wield the powers of the regulatory state. And she has the clearest plan for making ambitious governance possible again.

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Joe Biden is the only candidate with a real shot at getting things done

by Laura McGann

The next president will need the Senate. Vice President Joe Biden is the best person to deliver it to them, Laura McGann argued in January. The 2018 election results showed that swing voters will be key, and Biden offers Democrats their best shot at winning up and down the ballot, while still promising a governing agenda that would make him the most progressive president in recent history.

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Pete Buttigieg is more electable than Bernie Sanders — and more progressive than you think

by Dylan Matthews

The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, best unites the qualities Democrats say they want in a nominee, Dylan Matthews argued in February. He advocates a form of liberalism that’s more ambitious than Obama’s, and has a sophistication about political institutions and structures that Obama sometimes lacked. The combination could prove powerful — redefining the party for a generation.

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Coming soon: The case for Michael Bloomberg

The case for Michael Bloomberg will be published in February.