In an early assessment of what the 2020 presidential contest will look like, top DC lobbying shop Mehlman Castagnetti has identified three California Democrats likely to run for President, meaning the Golden State could dominate the 2020 race unmatched by other states.
According to the firm, all of Sen. Kamala Harris, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and billionaire Tom Steyer could step up.
But in a move that might surprise some political observers, Mehlman Castagnetti pins Steyer far to the right of Garcetti and Harris on the ideological spectrum.
That rating is at odds with Steyer’s public perception, as a diehard lefty pushing for President Trump’s impeachment, and a slew of green energy laws that would move the country in a sharply environmentalist direction.
Per Mehlman Castagnetti, Steyer comes in just slightly to the left of once-Republican former New York City Mayor and fellow billionaire Mike Bloomberg, dead even with former Vice President Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi antagonist Rep. Tim Ryan.
However, he is rated as less “establishment” than Harris, and even Oprah Winfrey– a fellow figure from outside politics (though arguably also a Californian).
Garcetti, despite serving as a big city mayor, is also regarded as a “disrupter” on a par with former Democratic presidential contender Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Left off of Mehlman Castagnetti’s chart are former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who failed to earn himself a spot in the California gubernatorial matchup this November, and the man who topped the California gubernatorial primary in 2018, Gavin Newsom. Newsom, while not yet elected, is seen as a rising star in Democratic politics and could make the next edition of the chart once November passes.
Prominent names from states other than California were also left off the cheat-sheet. Had former Secretary of State John Kerry been included, Massachusetts would have matched California for the highest number of potential entrants to the race.
Who will run and who will win?
After the recent hearings surrounding the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, it appears that the political stars of Harris and fellow Sen. Cory Booker are rising.
In just about a month, expect the jostling to begin in earnest.
