Presidential Forum: 5 Democratic candidates participate in Los Angeles forum
LOS ANGELES -- Issues impacting Latinos will be the focus of a forum featuring five of the Democratic candidates for president.
A panel of journalists are asking questions at the event hosted by the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State Los Angeles on Sunday.
The candidates at the forum are: South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Former HUD Secretary Julian Castro, investor-philanthropist Tom Steyer and Sen. Kamala Harris.
South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg
Buttigieg first made a national name for himself with a bid for Democratic National Committee chair in 2017. At 37 years old, he is the youngest candidate in the 2020 race, and could also become the first gay man to be elected president.
Sen. Bernie Sanders
After a 2016 campaign that saw him amass millions of supporters even as he finished second to Hillary Clinton, Sanders entered the 2020 race in February, predicting victory and pointing to the progressive idea he had championed as an outsider during the last cycle, like Medicare-for-all and free college tuition, that have become increasingly mainstream.
Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro
Castro, who served as mayor of San Antonio, Texas before spending over two years in President Barack Obama's cabinet, announced his campaign in his hometown in January.
"I'm running for president because it's time for new leadership because it's time for new energy and it's time for a new commitment to make sure that the opportunities I've had are available for every American," he said.
In 2016, Castro was vetted by Hillary Clinton to be her running mate, but the spot ultimately went to Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. This year, he says he is eager to restore the style of leadership the nation had under Obama.
Tom Steyer
Steyer, a billionaire liberal activist from California, in July became the 26th major Democratic figure to enter the 2020 race, reversing course on a statement he made months earlier saying he wouldn't run.
Sen. Kamala Harris
Harris officially announced her 2020 candidacy on ABC's "Good Morning America" in January.
"I love my country. I love my country," she said. "This is a moment in time that I feel a sense of responsibility to stand up and fight for the best of who we are."
If Harris were to win the 2020 presidential election, she would become the first woman and woman of color to ascend to the nation's highest office.
