With nearly 14 declared Democratic candidates for president, many apathetic voters will wait till the race intensifies and then pick from the most popular in the running. This pattern of apathy and then action when comes to voting in elections is all too common. Time after time, it is clear that name recognition is conflated with overall electability. In the 2016 Democratic presidential primaries, candidates Martin O’Malley and Bernie Sanders never posed a real threat to Hillary Clinton’s campaign as they both lacked national media attention and name recognition. This arising popularity contest has intensified as national partisanship continues to increase. Looking ahead, many Democratic voters are prioritizing candidates who “could beat Trump,” while ignoring candidates with outstanding ideas and merit. Included below is a brief synopsis of the two most notable underdogs running for election in 2020, each of whom will be battling the political machine as they strive for relevance amid the cluster of favorites like Harris, Sanders, Booker, and Warren.

1. Andrew Yang

As a former tech executive and Founder of Venture for America, an economic development nonprofit, Andrew Yang’s campaign is focused on economic revitalization and reform. Central to his campaign, is the proposal to implement Universal Basic Income (UBI) for all American adults, with a rate of $1,000 month. Even just months into his campaign, Yang’s proposal has faced considerable backlash as many have deemed it “socialism”. However, Yang views it differently, stating in a Fox News interview, “it is very much not socialism… [rather] its capitalism where income doesn’t start at zero”. Cunning responses aside, this increasing negative” socialist” label will be a large hurdle for Yang as he battles political obscurity. With the slogan “Humanity First”, Yang prioritization of human employment during an age of rapid technological growth and expanding automation is undeniably attractive, as many candidates continue to shy away from economic policy. Although, Yang’s increasing popularity may be his downfall. With his appearances on popular podcasts and radio shows like The Breakfast Club and The Joe Rogan Experience, Yang’s legitimate campaign for president can be easily mistaken for a press tour for his nonprofit.

2. Jay Inslee

As the Governor of Washington, Jay Inslee has become known for his progressive environmental policies in an age where climate change poses an increasing threat to the  American way of life. Inslee hopes to diversify his campaign by focusing on developing green-energy jobs and making “defeating climate change our nations No. 1 priority” (CNBC). In order to spread his message, Inslee has set out on a “Climate Mission Tour” to address the need to develop a clean energy economy to tackle climate change. Narrowing his policy focus to climate change has initially proven unsuccessful, as surveys suggest that climate change is an issue of low priority among voters and polls have Inslee has ranked 21st among Democratic primary voters. Although it appears that Inslee’s campaign has little momentum, it is plausible that voters fatigued by the constant discussion of immigration and the Trump administration will soon prioritize different issues (i.e climate change), thus opening up the race for Jay Inslee.