Campaign season is kicking into high gear and the pressure is on for the Democratic field's many candidates to make an impression. However, amidst the high stakes of the campaign, there are some friendly faces that are bringing lots of fun and levity to the presidential race. These photos of the 2020 Democratic candidates' pets reveal that their furry friends play an integral role in their lives — and sometimes even in their campaigns.
Many of the Democratic presidential hopefuls have pet dogs and cats that are featured on their social media profiles. Some of these pets, like Mayor Pete Buttigieg's dogs, Truman and Buddy, even have their own social media accounts. Others have played a prominent role in their "parents'" campaign activities.
For example, Senator Elizabeth Warren's dog, Bailey, attended his first-ever political event in New Hampshire in January 2019. Bailey proved quite the crowd pleaser at the event, with the senator joking that her pup might be more popular than her. "If anybody wants to stay around and take a picture, I’ll be here and we can do that,” Warren joked at the event, per People, “And Bailey will be out there with his own separate photo line. This is not a competition.”
Overall, play a big role in many of the 2020 candidates' personal and professional lives. The list below takes a closer look at who these "campaign pets" are and why they're the true stars here.
Maple — Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
Maple is a labradoodle who was adopted by the senator and her family back in July 2017. Maple seems to like to accompany Gillibrand to work from time to time, as Glamour noted that the senator's staffers refer to Maple as the "office therapy dog."
Bailey — Senator Elizabeth Warren
Bailey is a golden retriever pup who was gifted to Warren by her husband in July of 2018, People reported. The outlet noted that Bailey is named after the character George Bailey in the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life. “[George Bailey was] a guy who was decent, determined & saw the best in people," Warren said in a tweet describing why she chose the name. Bailey has been a fixture of Warren's presidential campaign, and is pictured here traveling with her to attend a campaign event in New Hampshire.
Truman — Mayor Pete Buttigieg
According to Quartz, Truman has already made a name for himself in politics. The outlet reported that the pup is known as the "First Dog of South Bend," and has starred in a Facebook video alongside Buttigieg to highlight the mayor's commitment to investing in parks around the city.
Buddy — Mayor Pete Buttigieg
Buddy is the newest pet addition to Buttigieg's family, after the mayor and his husband adopted the pup from a shelter in December 2018. After he adopted Buddy, Buttigieg took to Twitter to advocate for the adoption of shelter dogs.
"I share Buddy's story b/c around the holidays, families look to add an animal friend to their households. Buddy is a reminder of how many loving, beautiful animals are waiting for forever homes in shelters like @SBACC574, Pet Refuge, Heartland @SmallRescue and others," the mayor wrote on Twitter. "This holiday season, I hope your family — like ours — will discover the joy and share the love of a rescue."
Skye — John Hickenlooper
Former Colorado Governor Hickenlooper's dog, Skye, features prominently on his Instagram account — and is often pictured in his gubernatorial office. In writing the caption for the photo of Skye napping in a chair, Hickenlooper joked, "As usual, Skye blows off email & meetings for more important matters. She's really got the work/life balance thing down."
Mimi — John Delaney
In this photo, former Maryland Congressman Delaney's dog, Mimi, is pictured sporting 2020 campaign swag. Delaney shared this photograph of his pup on Facebook on April 11 to wish supporters a Happy National Pet Day.
Artemis & Rosie — Beto O'Rourke
Former Congressman O'Rourke shared this photo of his son and his two dogs on this year's National Pet Day. Artemis in particular has drawn a lot of public attention after her charismatic expression was captured in photographs published in a Vanity Fair article about O'Rourke, Time reported.
Silver — Beto O'Rourke
O'Rourke's cat, Silver, hasn't received as much public attention as Artemis, but has certainly received just as much love from the O'Rourke family. The former congressman also shared this Facebook photograph of his daughter and the family cat on National Pet Day in April 2018.
Penny — Congressman Eric Swalwell
It's clear that Penny the pup plays a very prominent role in California Congressman Swalwell's life. His social media accounts often feature pics of Penny alongside his two children. And, in some photos, Penny is definitely the star of the show. For example, in March 2019, Swalwell wrote alongside a photo of his pup, "This is my pup, Penny. I think my kid is in there somewhere too. But how cute is Penny?"
Bear & Buckeye — Congressman Tim Ryan
Ohio Congressman Ryan seems to enjoy sharing photographs of his two pups on social media. In the photo above, the dogs are featured alongside his son, Brady. In another Twitter pic of Bear and Buckeye from last year, the congressman made it clear that he's always up for a good pup joke. "Bear and Buckeye had a ruff day. But they always know how to stay pawsitive!," Ryan captioned a pic featuring the two dogs sleeping on a couch.
It's evident these dogs and cats are important members of candidates' families — and they no doubt bring a sense of lighthearted joy to the sometimes stressful campaign season.
