With a dizzying amount of politicians running for president in 2020, any bit of cache can help a candidate forge ahead, and that cache often arrives in the form of a celebrity endorsement. Some profess their support in a public way, such as Jonathan Van Ness and Elizabeth Warren's filmed meeting over the phone. Others opt for behind-the-scenes cheering, a lá Gwyneth Paltrow's celeb-filled fundraiser for Pete Buttigieg.
Still, stars including Taylor Swift have spoken openly about how the choice to voice your endorsement—or not—can be a major point of contention. And after 2016, an election that saw Hillary Clinton secure every celeb endorsement outside of Caitlyn Jenner and Kid Rock, what does a starry selection of voters even mean? As we await the answer, here's a running list of who celebrities are backing for 2020.
Joe Biden
- Rob Reiner
- George R.R. Martin
Although Biden leads in the polls, his celebrity supporters haven't emerged in masses. However, Reiner voiced his support for Biden the day that the former Vice President announced his 2020 campaign. The filmmaker tweeted, "We have a great field of candidates running for President. We should be supportive of them all. But if ever there was a time in our nation’s history that we needed someone to restore our soul & standing as leader of the free world, it’s now. Joe Biden will do that on day one."
CNN also reported that Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, and George Takei contributed money to Biden's campaign during its second quarter.
Elizabeth Warren
- John Legend and Chrissy Teigen
- Jonathan Van Ness
- Scarlett Johansson
- Roxanne Gay
- Rosie O'Donnell
Queer Eye's Van Ness officially tweeted his endorsement in September, writing, "The moment I knew I was endorsing @ewarrenwas last month when I misplaced my HIV meds. It cost $3500 to replace them out of pocket with “amazing” plantinum level insurance. Healthcare shouldn’t be for profit ever, it’s a human right." Gay cited Warren's plans for announced her "addressing the burdens of student debt and black maternal health and universal healthcare" when tweeting that she was officially "#TeamWarren."
CNN reports that Warren's second quarter saw donations from Ryan Reynolds, Amy Schumer, Bette Midler, Shonda Rhimes, and Jane Fonda (she also donated to Amy Klobuchar, Steve Bullock, and Jay Inslee before he left the race). Meanwhile, Sarah Jessica Parker was spotted at Warren's recent Washington Square Park rally.
Bernie Sanders
- Susan Sarandon
- Cardi B
- Emily Ratajkowski
- Shailene Woodley
- Rob Delaney
- Jason Mraz
- John Cusack
- Danny DeVito
- Justin Long
- Danny Glover
- Chloë Sevigny
- Brandi Carlisle
Several celebrities have shared support for Sanders, who launched his second attempt at the presidency in February. During an interview with the U.K.'s Guardian, Sevigny declared "Bernie Sanders is punk as f**k, plain and simple." Meanwhile, Brandi Carlisle showed her passion by hosting a May rally for the senator in Vermont. And who could forget Cardi B's anointing of the candidate as "Daddy Bernie." Other donors feeling the bern include John Mulaney, Adam McKay, and Norah Jones.
Kamala Harris
- Mindy Kaling
Kaling listed Harris as her favorite candidate during an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper. While other famous faces have yet to endorse the California senator, notables including Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Lance Bass, Jon Hamm, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, and Busy Phillips have donated to the campaign. Other donors include Steven Spielberg, Reese Witherspoon, Sean Penn, Jon Cryer, Rita Wilson, Emma Roberts, Lily Tomlin, Don Cheadle, Leslie Odom Jr., Cecily Strong, Elizabeth Banks, and Eva Longoria. Felicity Huffman even reportedly donated $400 to Harris shortly after she announced her presidential bid.
Pete Buttigieg
- Seth MacFarlane
- Mark Duplass
- Jenna Fischer
- Author Anne Rice
- David Crosby
- Emmy Rossum
MacFarlane referred to Buttigieg in his tweet of support as "quietly one of the best Presidential candidates I've seen in my lifetime." Apparently, several other high-profile voters have been supporting him just as quietly. Per CNN, Gwyneth Paltrow co-hosted a splashy fundraiser for the South Bend mayor in early May alongside Bradley Whitford. Other financial supporters include George Takei, Jane Lynch, Alan Cumming, Ryan Reynolds, Pedro Pascal, Rob Reiner, Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi, John Stamos, Larry and Cazzie David, Mandy Moore, Sharon Stone, Michael J. Fox, and Jennifer Aniston.
Cory Booker
- Rosario Dawson
- Jon Bon Jovi
Considering that Booker and Dawson confirmed their relationship in March, one would assume the actress's support. When rumors loomed that she would instead vote for her 2016 candidate Bernie Sanders, Dawson promptly tweeted, "For the record I, of course, endorse @CoryBooker. Anyone writing otherwise clearly hasn’t been paying attention."
Others who have lent a hand to Booker's presidential aspirations include Ben Affleck, Bradley Whitford, Jamie Lee Curtis, M. Night Shyamalan, Kevin Bacon, and Alicia Silverstone.
Everybody Else
Business Insider reported celeb contributions for Beto O'Rourke from Willie Nelson and Bob Odenkirk. Lesser-known candidate Steve Bullock nabbed support from Jeff Bridges and Scooter Braun, while Nicolas Cage put dollars towards Andrew Yang's campaign. And lest we forget that Steve Buscemi donated $5,600 to New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio before he dropped out in September.
