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The Iowa caucuses took place February 3, marking the official beginning of the 2020 presidential election season. For many of the candidates, this came after more than a year of hard campaigning.

Most of the campaigns have focused on policy areas key to Americans’ everyday problems—issues like healthcare, income inequality, and the burden of student debt. However, candidates have also been taking positions on structural and procedural questions of democracy and political reform. Though these issues may not receive much time on debate stages, our political institutions also demand attention and innovation.

Over the last decade, American democracy has been rocked by a series of setbacks, from rulings like Citizens United v. FEC, Shelby County v. Holder, and Janus v. AFSCME to the rise of voter-ID laws and partisan gerrymandering. In 2016, the Economist Intelligence Unit from a “full democracy” to a “flawed democracy,” a change “a sharp fall in popular confidence in the functioning of public institutions,” and that both preceded and paved the way for Donald ������Ƶ presidency. Under these circumstances, democracy reform issues have taken on a new urgency and salience.

To help journalists, advocates, and the public assess where the candidates stand, the Political Reform program at ������Ƶ is tracking presidential candidates’ 2020 positions on major democracy reform issues. Specifically, we are focusing on eight potential reforms: adopt ranked-choice voting, expand voting rights, reform the Electoral College, limit the revolving door between government and lobbying, pass a constitutional amendment to allow stricter campaign finance regulation, expand small-donor public financing, eliminate the Senate filibuster, and reform the Supreme Court.

As the 2020 campaign has unfolded, all of the Democratic candidates and two of the Republican candidates have embraced at least one of the eight reforms we are tracking. Many candidates have issued novel, bold policy proposals that go beyond the current progressive consensus or currently proposed federal legislation, while other candidates have not addressed these with specificity or urgency. Some have failed to articulate any position at all.

The candidates featured here—12 Democratic and three Republican—are those who were still running as of January 14, the day of the last pre-Iowa televised debate. A snapshot of each candidate's platform, speeches, and record on the issue in question is presented below, with each dot hyperlinked to a source. Below the snapshot you can find a narrative analysis and issue breakdowns of the data. These breakdowns include public statements and campaign website excerpts indicating the candidates’ positions, where they exist, on each issue. For current or former officeholders, co-sponsorship of federal legislation and support of state or local decisions may also be cited.

Our analysis does not suggest endorsement, support of, or opposition to any candidate; it is simply a record of whether each candidate has expressed a position on particular reforms, and if so, whether the candidate supports (●), opposes (✕), or is “open to” those reforms (○).

A presidential campaign is a contest not just about personalities, but also about ideas. As candidates set out their policy priorities and develop their proposals, we learn more about what they care about, but we also see in their reflection what voters and party activists care about and want to hear. The proposals candidates embrace, and the priority they give them, define the agenda for the years that follow. Even candidates who don’t win their party’s nomination, like Ronald Reagan in 1976 and Bernie Sanders in 2016, and some who drop out even before the first primaries, often bring forward ideas or ideological visions that take hold later.

From our deep dive into the 2020 candidates’ positions on issues of democracy, we see strong evidence that Lee Drutman was correct in that “from the long arc of American political history, I see the bright flashing arrows of a new age of reform and renewal ahead.” Not since 1976, in the aftermath of Watergate and an earlier impeachment, has the notion of reforming democracy itself been as central to a presidential contest as it is in 2020.

While reform of money in politics has been on the agenda in previous campaigns—it was a hallmark of 2008 Republican nominee John McCain’s career, and particularly his 2000 campaign for his party’s nomination, and Barack Obama emphasized restrictions on lobbying—the range of different democracy-reform issues on the agenda in this cycle is unprecedented. Issues of democracy used to be considered as something of an elite preoccupation, less immediately meaningful than economic or social policy issues, or those of war and peace. But in the decade since the Citizens United and Shelby County decisions, core issues of voting rights, corruption, and the relationship between economic and political power have mobilized citizens at a level unseen since the post-Watergate period.

That passion and concern for democracy is reflected in the priority that all Democratic candidates, and one Republican, have given to issues of political reform, and in the range and creativity of their ideas.

To begin on the Republican side, William Weld, the former Massachusetts governor who was the Libertarian Party’s vice presidential nominee in 2016, embraced a broader political reform agenda than might be expected. Weld, who dropped out in late March, challenged the winner-take-all allocation of electoral votes and embraced ranked-choice voting. He also supported independent redistricting commissions, restoring the Voting Rights Act, and experiments in voting by mobile phone. He even than some of the Democratic contenders on the issue of restoring voting rights to felons, indicating he is open to allowing some currently incarcerated felons to vote. It remains to be seen whether this reflects an emerging Republican agenda or the particular priorities of a candidate who has also run on a third-party ticket.

Of the other announced candidates for the Republican nomination, former Rep. Joe Walsh (who dropped out of the race after a dismal showing in Iowa) had little to say about political reform. As the incumbent, Donald Trump has embraced some limits on the “revolving door” between lobbying and government, but in practice, the Associated Press that he has appointed more lobbyists to key positions in three years than his two predecessors had done in eight. Otherwise, Trump has not endorsed any elements of a political reform agenda, and he has endorsed efforts at the state level to limit voting and remove voters from the rolls.

Unsurprisingly, it’s in the opposition party where the debate on political reform is robust and where there are signs of innovation. As our analysis shows, there are some issues on which there is broad consensus, such as the need for impartial congressional redistricting and stricter campaign finance regulations. We can expect that any Democrat who becomes president will pursue these consensus ideas. Others are newer or more controversial, embraced only by some candidates, but may reflect a consensus that will develop in the future.

Candidates’ positions on democracy can be grouped, roughly, in three categories. One involves expanding voting rights, reinstating the provisions of the Voting Rights Act that were overturned in the Shelby County ruling, eliminating voter ID and felon disenfranchisement laws, and otherwise extending the promise of democracy more broadly. A second strand focuses on corruption, limiting the influence of lobbyists and campaign donors. And finally, there are reforms intended to make it easier for a majority to achieve lasting policy changes and overcome the barriers to majoritarian government, from the Electoral College to the Senate filibuster (perhaps even the Senate itself!), to the Supreme Court as currently constituted.

In the first category, a candidate who ended his campaign before the first vote, Cory Booker, was the pacesetter on voting rights, advocating a “New Voting Rights Act,” automatic voter registration, voting by mail, and making Election Day a holiday. Pete Buttigieg similarly proposed a “21st Century Voting Rights Act,” which would “use every resource of the federal government to end voter suppression.” While these are among the most sweeping proposals, almost all the other Democratic contenders have embraced much of this agenda, particularly automatic voter registration and reversing the Shelby County decision.

A related stream of reform in this category concerns the perceived failures of our plurality, winner-takes-all system of voting. Currently, the most prominent alternative to this system is ranked-choice voting. Ranked-choice voting (otherwise known as instant runoff voting, preferential voting, and alternative voting) has been tested in several cities over the past decade, and in the state of Maine in 2018. Most recently, New York City voters approved ranked-choice voting for municipal primary and special elections beginning in 2021. Several candidates have already said they’re “open” to such reforms, and a few, including Bernie Sanders and former candidates Michael Bennet and Andrew Yang, have been more explicit in endorsing ranked-choice voting. Over the next year, we expect ranked-choice voting will become an even bigger public conversation: Several states—including Alaska, Nevada, Hawaii, Kansas, and Wyoming—are using ranked-choice voting in their presidential primaries and caucuses in 2020, so candidates and voters alike are sure to become more familiar with the idea.

Two candidates have framed their approach to political reform almost entirely around the second category of reform, which addresses the idea of corruption and ending a system that’s “rigged” for the wealthy: Elizabeth Warren (who dropped out after Super Tuesday) and Bernie Sanders. The currency of Warren’s campaign was detailed policy proposals, so unsurprisingly she has the most specific plans to end corruption, with a particular focus on lobbying. Her proposal to ban campaign contributions by lobbyists and institute lifetime bans on elected officials from lobbying is the most sweeping, and, while it may raise constitutional questions or deter people from public service, it directly targets the intersection of money and influence, which is lobbying.

Support for an amendment to the Constitution that would overturn both Citizens United and the 1974 decision, Buckley v. Valeo, in order to permit broader regulation of political spending, is one of those ideas with broad consensus support among Democrats. In fact, all the candidates who were in the U.S. Senate in 2014 voted for such an amendment. Most also support a system of public financing based on matching small contributions, though some are vague about it and some quite specific. Michael Bloomberg (who, like Warren, dropped out of the race after Super Tuesday) for expanding New York City’s small-donor matching program, although he himself did not use the program in his three campaigns for mayor in the 2000s.

The third category of political reform proposals is where the newest and most controversial ideas are found. Particularly during the Obama era, when the Senate was able to block most of his initiatives after the first year, Democrats became acutely aware of the “veto points” in the American political system that have made progress difficult, even when a solid majority favors change. The Senate filibuster was the most immediate obstacle, and candidates who have not served in the Senate, including former candidates Tom Steyer and Yang, along with Warren, have supported ending the filibuster. Joe Biden, who served 36 years in the Senate, has opposed this change, and other candidates have been more ambivalent about it. The Supreme Court, having gutted much of the Affordable Care Act, along with its decisions in Shelby County and Citizens United, is seen as another veto point in the system, leading a few candidates, notably Buttigieg, John Delaney, Steyer, and Yang (all of whom dropped out before Super Tuesday), to embrace reforms such as expanding the Court or imposing fixed terms. After two recent presidential elections in which the Electoral College determined the winner, superseding the popular vote, there is new interest in eliminating or reforming that institution as well. Of the 12 Democratic candidates tracked here, eight have expressed support for proposals that would either amend the Constitution or employ an interstate agreement to effectively give the presidency to the winner of the popular vote. Of them, three remain in the race.

These proposals suggest a dramatic expansion of the scope of political reform, well beyond the narrow focus on limiting money in politics and lobbying from just a few years earlier. But while previous efforts, such as McCain’s, had broad support across both major parties, the energy and enthusiasm for reform are now mostly concentrated among Democratic candidates and Democratic voters. This partisan split was likewise illustrated in 2019 when the newly elected Democratic majority in the House introduced as its first piece of official legislation a bold pro-democracy reform package. The For the People Act (H.R. 1, 2019) passed in the House by a strict party-line vote, but the Republican-controlled Senate, led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, has so far refused to put it to a vote.

However concerning this divide may be, the crisis of democracy and the hunger for real change identified by Drutman makes it plausible that the ideas on the agenda in 2020 will capture the imagination of voters and politicians across the political spectrum in the decade ahead.

*indicates that the candidate has dropped out

Michael Bennet*
“Support for ranked choice voting — an innovative approach to reduce partisanship and increase choices for voters.”

Joe Biden
Unknown

Michael Bloomberg*
Unknown

Pete Buttigieg*
Unknown

John Delaney*
Unknown

Tulsi Gabbard*
“[Ranked-choice voting] can “make sure our voices are heard accurately and represented through our elections.”

Amy Klobuchar*
Unknown

Deval Patrick*
“#RankedChoiceVoting is a great innovation to bring more citizens into civic life. It’s just what democracy needs to stay fresh.”

Bernie Sanders*
“If we are believing in democracy and the right for people to have the freedom to cast their ballot and not have to choose the lesser of two evils, [ranked-choice voting] is something I support.”

Tom Steyer*
Unknown

Donald Trump
Unknown

Elizabeth Warren*
"there’s a lot to be said for [ranked choice voting]… Engaging more people, and saying, 'Okay, talk about your first choice and your second choice.’ That that might help us as a country get more people both running for office and engaged in those political campaigns.”

Joe Walsh*
Unknown

Bill Weld*
“I campaigned long and hard in the great state of Maine in 2016 for equal choice voting… because I think ranked-choice voting rewards intensity among other things.”

Andrew Yang*
“There are many alternative voting systems that are superior to plurality voting. We should move to a ranked-choice/single transferable vote voting system, a system that has recently been implemented in Maine and is being explored by many other localities.”

*indicates that the candidate has dropped out

Michael Bennet*
“Bold reforms to promote voting, including automatic voter registration, same-day voter registration, and expanded early voting.” Co-sponsored S.949 – For the People Act of 2019.

Joe Biden
“We’ve got to make it easier—not harder—for Americans to exercise their right to vote, regardless of their zip code or the color of their skin, and make sure we count every voter’s voice equally.”

Michael Bloomberg*
"…as president, I will support a new national Voting Rights Act that requires states to conduct automatic voter registration and adopt other reforms – like early voting – that improve access to the ballot in federal elections.”

Pete Buttigieg*
“The Douglass Plan proposes a 21st Century Voting Rights Act that will use every resource of the federal government to end all types of voter suppression, expand voting access, and create a democracy where the rights of each citizen no longer depend on the color of their skin, the community they live in, or for whom they want to vote.”

John Delaney*
“John supports the Voting Rights Advancement Act… also supports automatic voter registration and same day registration.”

Tulsi Gabbard*
“As your president, I will make it a priority to guarantee a government of, by, and for the people by… protecting voting rights for every American.” Co-sponsored H.R.1. – For the People Act of 2019.

Amy Klobuchar*
“As President, Amy will champion a voting rights and democracy reform package, including automatically registering every 18-year-old in this country to vote, banning states from purging voters from rolls for not voting in recent elections, putting same-day registration policies in place, and restoring the Voting Rights Act.” Co-sponsored S.949 – For the People Act of 2019.

Deval Patrick*
“The Justice Department in a Patrick administration will aggressively combat the vote suppression that has steadily and cynically choked off the fundamental act of citizenship. We would also explore ways to make voting easier: automatic or same day voter registration, early voting and voting by mail or online. We need to update the Voting Rights Act, and engage a joint state-federal effort to incentivize states to expand access to the ballot.”

Bernie Sanders*
“Restore the Voting Right Act; End racist voter suppression and partisan gerrymandering; Make Election Day a national holiday; secure automatic voter registration; and guarantee the right to vote for every American over 18, including those Americans currently incarcerated and those disenfranchised by a felony conviction.” Co-sponsored S.949 – For the People Act of 2019.

Tom Steyer*
“Increase Voter Participation with a National Referendum; Initiate a Vote-At-Home System; Support Important Election Reform Legislation; Establish Independent Redistricting Commissions.” “H.R.1, the Voting Rights Advancement Act, and the Native American Voting Rights Act need to be signed into law immediately.”

Donald Trump
Created through executive order the "Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity." Supports voter-ID laws and voter purges and opposes same-day voter registration.

Elizabeth Warren*
“No more registration problems; No more voter purges; No more voting difficulties… I’m proposing a federal-state partnership so that states will have a strong financial incentive to follow these rules in their state and local elections as well — and to maximize voter turnout.” Co-sponsored S.949 – For the People Act of 2019.

Joe Walsh*
Sponsored H.R. 6408: Federal Election Integrity Act of 2012, a federal
photo voter-ID law.

Bill Weld*
Supports federal regulations on voter purging; restoring the Voting Rights Act; vote-by-phone; restoring voting rights to felons after they’ve served their time, and some non-violent currently incarcerated people.

Andrew Yang*
“Combating voter suppression requires limiting voter roll purges, prohibiting voter ID laws, limiting last minute changes to polling locations, implementing automatic and same-day voter registration, accepting mail-in ballots, requiring early voting, and counting all provisional ballots… We will protect the integrity of our democratic process through the elimination of discriminatory laws and initiatives to increase voter participation across the board."

*indicates that the candidate has dropped out

Michael Bennet*
“The electoral college is outdated. Americans should directly elect our presidents.”

Joe Biden
Unknown

Michael Bloomberg*
Bloomberg told the Washington Post he does not support eliminating the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote

Pete Buttigieg*
“It’s simple: the candidate who gets the most votes should win. States don’t vote, people vote, and everyone’s vote should count exactly the same. The Electoral College has to go.” Supports National Popular Vote interstate compact until a constitutional amendment can be passed.

John Delaney*
“If I was starting from scratch, yes, but trying to abolish the electoral college now is impractical.”

Tulsi Gabbard*
Supports reforming it or a system of proportional allocation of electors.

Amy Klobuchar*
Klobuchar told the Washington Post she is open to eliminating it.

Deval Patrick*
“The Electoral College is not democratic and, today, no longer reflects the popular will. Our leaders should be elected by a simple popular vote,” his democracy agenda said. “I will push for a Constitutional amendment to bring this about, and will support other efforts to assure that the popular vote determines the outcome through an interstate compact.”

Bernie Sanders*
“Abolish the Electoral College.”

Tom Steyer*
“I support eliminating the electoral college.”

Donald Trump
“… the Cities would end up running the Country. Smaller States & the entire Midwest would end up losing all power – & we can’t let that happen. I used to like the idea of the Popular Vote but, now realize the Electoral College is far better for the U.S.A.”

Elizabeth Warren*
“It’s time to abolish the Electoral College and to have a national popular vote."

Joe Walsh*
Unknown

Bill Weld*
Not through a constitutional amendment but believes that a fair alternative would be for a “ 'proportional method of distributing Electors' based on the statewide vote, not by congressional district."

Andrew Yang*
“If we’re going to attempt to reform the electoral college, it would be better to focus on making electors determined on a proportional basis.”

*indicates that the candidate has dropped out

Michael Bennet*
"Ban members of Congress from ever becoming lobbyists. Ban senior Congressional staff and cabinet officials from working as lobbyists in the particular areas they worked on for six years. Ban Congressional members and senior staff from ever representing foreign governments or foreign political parties. Close loopholes that allow individuals to operate as lobbyists without registering as one.” Sponsored the Close the Revolving Door Act of 2017.

Joe Biden
"Expand on and codify into law the Obama-Biden Administration ethics pledge. [It] will address not only the improper influence of lobbyists, but also any improper or inappropriate influence from personal, financial, and other interests – ensuring an extra layer of review and scrutiny whenever policy proposals or recommendations come from a conflicted source.”

Michael Bloomberg*
As Mayor of New York City, he “strengthened the New York City’s ethics and conflicts of interest laws and forced lobbyists to disclose their contacts with city officials."

Pete Buttigieg*
Buttigieg supports reforming rules on lawmakers becoming lobbyists, the restrictions in H.R. 1, and a ban on “golden parachutes" for executives who accept political appointments.

John Delaney*
“Delaney supports a five-year lobbying ban for former lawmakers," a spokesperson told The Hill. Co-sponsored the Stop the Revolving Door in Washington Act.

Tulsi Gabbard*
“The revolving door between politicians and lobbyists needs to close. I’ve been working on comprehensive legislation to do this. Until then, I’m all in on a clean bill focused on Members of Congress. Let’s make it happen.”

Amy Klobuchar*
Co-sponsored S.949 – For the People Act of 2019.

Deval Patrick*
“Return to the Obama Administration’s policy of forbidding lobbyists from entering government to regulate the very industries they had just lobbied for.”

Bernie Sanders*
“As president, Bernie will… Institute a lifetime lobbying ban for former members of Congress and senior staffers."

Tom Steyer*
"As president, Tom will enact comprehensive structural reform, so corporate lobbyists and special interests no longer control our democracy.”

Donald Trump
President Trump signed an executive order that placed a five-year ban on lobbying and a lifetime ban on lobbying for foreign countries for federal employees.

Elizabeth Warren*
Supports “ending lobbying as we know it by closing loopholes so everyone who lobbies must register, shining sunlight on their activities, banning foreign governments from hiring Washington lobbyists, and shutting down the ability of lobbyists to move freely in and out of government jobs.”

Joe Walsh*
Unknown

Bill Weld*
Unknown

Andrew Yang*
"Increase salaries for government officials who operate in a regulatory capacity to much higher levels, but ban them from receiving anything of value in exchange for advocating for a position (lobbying) to members of the federal government.”

*indicates that the candidate has dropped out

Michael Bennet*
Supports “a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and new reforms to drive money out of politics.” Co-sponsored Democracy for All Amendment.

Joe Biden
“We need to… pass a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United to amplify the voices of individual Americans and ensure elected officials are working for the people.”

Michael Bloomberg*
"He'll work with Congress to overhaul the campaign finance system, stop pay-to-play, bring transparency to dark money, strengthen ethics and regulations around conflicts of interest.”

Pete Buttigieg*
“O������ٳܰ��� Citizens United and Buckley v. Valeo, if necessary by constitutional amendment… We also need to create common-sense campaign finance rules that clearly establish that corporations do not have the same political rights as people, and dollars cannot outvote human beings.”

John Delaney*
“Unlimited corporate money has made our democracy pay-to-play. John supports a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.”

Tulsi Gabbard*
“Politicians and our democracy shouldn’t be beholden to big money and corporate interests. We must overturn Citizens United and ensure that our government is of, by, and for the people.”

Amy Klobuchar*
“She will lead the effort to pass a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and get the dark money out of politics.”

Deval Patrick*
“Corporations are not people, and unlimited money on elections is not speech. In parallel with Constitutional changes, we will work with Congress to develop legislation to clarify that no corporation shall be deemed a ‘person’ for purposes of the First Amendment.”

Bernie Sanders*
"As president, Bernie will fight to… Pass a Constitutional Amendment that makes clear that money is not speech and corporations are not people.”

Tom Steyer*
“Corporations aren’t people, and they shouldn’t be controlling our politics. The Supreme Court decision in Citizens United must be overturned and the public financing of campaigns becomes the law of the land.”

Donald Trump
Unknown

Elizabeth Warren*
“But to truly end the corruption of our democracy, we must also pass a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s disastrous decisions in Citizens United and Buckley v. Valeo. A constitutional amendment will allow Congress to regulate election spending, establish public financing as the sole way to finance elections, and bring an end to the era of big money in politics.”

Joe Walsh*
Unknown

Bill Weld*
“Bill Weld is now the most prominent Republican candidate in favor of amending the Constitution in order to slow the torrent of big money in American politics.”

Andrew Yang*
“I will gladly push for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and return the American government to its people. We need to end Super PACs, drown out their influence, and stop pretending that corporations have equal rights to people.”

*indicates that the candidate has dropped out

Michael Bennet*
“Create a voluntary small-donor matching system for federal elections to offset wealthy donors, paid for with a small surcharge on penalties for corporate and white-collar crime.”

Joe Biden
“Enact legislation to provide voluntary matching public funds for federal candidates receiving small dollar donations.”

Michael Bloomberg*
“Mike expanded public financing of elections in New York City by increasing the matching rate for small donations from $4 to $6, which meant that a $25 donation resulted in a $150 public match.”

Pete Buttigieg*
“It’s time to create a strong public financing system that matches small donors so average citizens can run for office funded by their communities, not big donors.”

John Delaney*
Co-sponsored H.R.20 – Government By the People Act of 2017, “To reform the financing of congressional elections by broadening participation by small dollar donors, and for other purposes.”

Tulsi Gabbard*
Co-sponsored H.R.20 – Government By the People Act of 2017, “To reform the financing of congressional elections by broadening participation by small dollar donors, and for other purposes.”

Amy Klobuchar*
Co-sponsored S.366, supporting matching fund for small donors, with debate requirements.

Deval Patrick*
“Create a federal program that matches small donations by American citizens with public funds to amplify the impact of small donors in elections. One path to getting there is to create a government fund that would match small donations to political campaigns at an eight to one ratio, modeled off of existing programs like that in New York City. The matching fund would be paid for by taxing the expenditures of corporate PACs.”

Bernie Sanders*
“Replace corporate funding and donations from millionaires and billionaires with public funding of elections that amplifies small-dollar donations.”

Tom Steyer*
Doesn’t say so explicitly, but pledges to sign H.R.1 into law “immediately.”

Donald Trump
Unknown

Elizabeth Warren*
Warren “would give a 6-1 match for small dollar contributions, less than $200. The program will be funded by penalties coming from corporate malfeasance and major tax crimes.”

Joe Walsh*
Unknown

Bill Weld*
Unknown

Andrew Yang*
“Every American gets $100 a year to give to candidates, use it or lose it. These Democracy Dollars would, by the sheer volume of the US population, drown out the influence of mega-donors.”

*indicates that the candidate has dropped out

Michael Bennet*
Signed the 2017 letter supporting the 60-vote filibuster threshold.

Joe Biden
“[I do] not support ending the filibuster.”

Michael Bloomberg*
Unknown

Pete Buttigieg*
“It will be time to put an end to the filibuster that has gotten in the way of so much good policy in this country."

John Delaney*
“If we want to pass long-lasting, meaningful legislation, it should be done with a 60-vote majority.”

Tulsi Gabbard*
“That’s another one that is important for us to look at how we solve this or make changes that are not based on partisanship. Often it is the party that is in the minority that is calling for bringing about those changes and then once they get into the majority then they say no, absolutely not, we’re not going to change this.”

Amy Klobuchar*
Klobuchar was one of 61 senators to sign a letter supporting the 60-vote filibuster threshold in 2017, but told the Washington Post in 2019 that she was open to it.

Deval Patrick*
Unknown

Bernie Sanders*
“Once we have — and [I] believe it will be sooner than later — a Democratic majority that is prepared to take on the greed and the corruption of the fossil fuel industry and vote for these major reforms in the House and the Senate, we will pass them. That means enacting real filibuster reform, including the return to requiring a talking filibuster. It is not right that one senator can grind the entire legislative process to a halt.”

Tom Steyer*
Steyer told the Washington Post he supports eliminating the filibuster.

Donald Trump
Unknown

Elizabeth Warren*
“When Democrats have the White House again, if Mitch McConnell continues to put small-minded partisanship ahead of solving the massive problems facing our country, then we should get rid of the filibuster.”

Joe Walsh*
Unknown

Bill Weld*
Unknown

Andrew Yang*
“As President, I will: Get rid of the filibuster or Mitch McConnell (or, preferably, both). Promote an end to the current filibuster system used in the Senate, ending the requirement for a 60-vote cloture motion and replacing it with the traditional need to hold the floor.”

*indicates that the candidate has dropped out

Michael Bennet*
“We are now in a situation where, at least for the immediate future and maybe forever, we are going to put people on the Court by the barest partisan majority. We will have to have a president and the Senate from the same party [for a nominee to be confirmed]. That is an incredible distortion in our system and it hasn’t been the way it’s worked until now. Term limits 'could be an answer to it.” Bennet is opposed to court “packing.”

Joe Biden
“No, I’m not prepared to go on and try to pack the court, because we’ll live to rue that day.” His position on term limits for justices is unknown.

Michael Bloomberg*
Bloomberg told the Washington Post he does not support “packing” the court. His position on term limits is unknown.

Pete Buttigieg*
“We need to reform the Supreme Court in a way that will strengthen its independence and restore the American people’s trust in it as a check to the Presidency and the Congress. One promising idea is to restructure the Court so that ten members are confirmed in the normal political fashion, with the other five promoted from the lower courts by unanimous agreement of the other ten. Others have proposed implementing term limits. As president, Pete will create a bipartisan reform commission for the purpose of recommending structural improvements to protect the Supreme Court from further politicization.”

John Delaney*
Supports an 18-year term limit for justices, but opposes packing the court.

Tulsi Gabbard*
Gabbard told the Washington Post she does not support adding seats to the court. Her position on term limits for justices is unknown.

Amy Klobuchar*
“I am open to [adding seats to the Supreme Court]. It depends on what happens with the Senate if that’s realistic. My much more practical focus will be on immediately, when I become president, filling open judgeships.” Her position on term limits for justices is unknown.

Deval Patrick*
Unknown

Bernie Sanders*
“Once the process of packing the court starts, it could continue with each political party adding more judges when they have the power to do so.” On term limits, he said “I have to hear more discussion on this issue before commenting.” He has indicated openness to "rotating judges" from the Supreme Court to other federal courts.

Tom Steyer*
Steyer supports expanding the size of the Supreme Court and is open to term limits for the justices.

Donald Trump
Trump said he “wouldn’t entertain that,” when asked about expanding the size of the court.

Elizabeth Warren*
“If Republicans are going to try to block us on key legislation or judges that we’re trying to move forward, then you better believe all the options are on the table.”

Joe Walsh*
Unknown

Bill Weld*
Unknown

Andrew Yang*
Yang “will propose a constitutional amendment 18-year term limits on Supreme Court Justices,with terms staggered so that there’s one retirement every other year (each President gets 2 appointments),” and “Allow for ‘off-cycle’ appointments, having the President ‘forfeit’ their next appointment to maintain parity.”