*See our full list of 2020 Democrats here*
Quick Facts
Who: Marianne Williamson
Where: Houston
Current Position: No current political position.
Campaign Website: https://www.marianne2020.com/
Background: Up to this point, Williamson has been primarily a social activist and spiritual author. She is the cofounder of Project Angel Food. Originally launched to support HIV/AIDS patients, it expanded to cook and deliver meals to people with life-threatening illnesses.
2020 Campaign & Endorsements
Date Announced: Jan. 29, 2019
Fundraising: $1.5 million raised in first quarter
Campaign Leadership: Maurice Daniel
Key Endorsements:
Political Positions
- Economy: Williamson supports the institution of a $15 minimum wage. She also supports the Green New Deal, an economic stimulus bill that calls for radical environmental and economic policies.
- Healthcare: She backs the socialist Medicare for All bill, a self-explanatory bill proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
- Abortion: Williamson has affirmed her support for abortion, calling herself "one hundred percent pro-choice."
- Immigration: She believes that there should be a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants with no "serious criminal background." She has also said that she would work on providing affordable healthcare to illegal families.
- Criminal Justice: Her signature campaign promise is a call for $100 billion in reparations for black Americans. This would be distributed over 10 years by a group of black leaders for selected "economic and education projects."
- Gun Control: As president, she would support the elimination of the sale of semi-automatic firearms. She would fight to ban bump stocks and require universal background checks, including at gun shows.
- Education: Williamson would advocate for legislation that supports free college education and low-cost education for middle or older aged citizens.
Criticisms/Controversies
- Vaccines: Williamson ran into controversy when she called mandatory-vaccine policies "Orwellian," at a campaign event in New Hampshire. "To me, it’s no different than the abortion debate,” Williamson said according to NBC News. “The U.S. government doesn’t tell any citizen, in my book, what they have to do with their body or their child." Williamson later released a statement on Twitter saying that she misspoke and didn't mean to make comments "which sounded as though I question the validity of life-saving vaccines."
This piece is part of our Election 2020 series. See below for more information on the most talked about Democrats challenging President Trump.