Editor’s note: This story was updated after Senator Amy Klobuchar ended her campaign.
It’s (almost) the day we’ve all been waiting for: Super Tuesday.
On this primary voting day, people will take to the polls en masse in 14 states — Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia — to weigh in on who they think the Democratic nominee for president should be.
[Related: These Businesswomen Are Fed Up and Running for Congress in 2020]
And when all is said and done, 1,357 of the 3,979 pledged delegates will be awarded, to be split between former Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Bernie Sanders, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
To date, the candidates have not had much to say about entrepreneurship, and even less to say about women business owners. But each one has at least some history of engaging with entrepreneurs, or crafted some plans to lift them up. Here’s a list of what each candidate has said or done on behalf of women business owners.
[Related: Campaigning for More Women in U.S. Government]
Former Vice President Joe Biden
Much of Biden’s involvement with women entrepreneurs occurred as a member of President Barack Obama’s administration. He was part of the team in place that signed the Small Business Jobs Act into law — a piece of legislation has reportedly resulted in an unprecedented level of lending for women business owners. Access to federal contracts for women entrepreneurs also expanded during Obama’s time in office, as well as the creation and growth of programs like the Small Business Administration’s ChallengeHER National Initiative and the InnovateHER Business Challenge.
(For more: Official Campaign Website)
Senator Elizabeth Warren
The candidate who seemingly has a plan for everything recently announced a specific plan for women cannabis business owners. The Massachusetts senator has also shared her vision for lifting up minority-owned ventures and getting younger and future generations into entrepreneurship. Her plans generally target problems that these segments of business owners face when accessing capital. The former promises grants for minority entrepreneurs, while the latter addresses the ways in which student loan debt impacts younger Americans’ ability to bootstrap a business.
(For more: Official Campaign Website)
[Related: Student Debt, a Burden for Female Entrepreneurs]
Senator Bernie Sanders
Economic reform is a significant part of Sanders’ campaign, though he has not addressed the problems women entrepreneurs face in particular. Still, Sanders does have a history of pushing for legislation and ideas that would help business owners in general during his decades of experience representing the people of Vermont. For example, he was a vocal supporter of the Small Business Jobs Act, and has pushed for net neutrality to keep the online playing field even for small businesses.
(For more: Official Campaign Website)
[Related: These Two Activists are Elevating Black Women in U.S. Politics]
Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg
As mayor of New York City, Bloomberg launched the Corporate Alliance Program in 2011, an initiative designed to connect women- and minority-owned businesses with contracting opportunities. And during his tenure, the value of contracts awarded to certified members of these entrepreneurial communities expanded. He has vowed through his campaign to continue this work on a federal level, if elected, while also creating mentorship programs for up-and-coming founders.
(For more: Official Campaign Website)
[Related: Fanning the Flames of an Industry Hot Spot]
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard
Gabbard has not addressed women business owners in particular, but she has written and sponsored legislation to assist small businesses and veteran entrepreneurs. The former was designed to give community financial institutions and credit unions the ability to finance small business owners in her state, Hawaii. The latter would offer veteran business owners tax credits for those who start up in under-served areas.
(For more: Official Campaign Website)
[Related: At the Women’s Convention, Ire, Information and Action Plans]