Despite being inaugurated in January 2017, Donald Trump never stopped his campaign — making rally stops throughout 2018 and into the new year. However, Democrats have since entered the race, making the 2020 Presidential Election seem closer than ever. Sixteen significant Democrats are now vying for the opportunity to challenge Trump for the presidency come Tuesday, November 3 next year.

It may seem frivolous to begin analyzing candidates now with Election Day a year and a half away, but now is the most important time for prospective voters to look into candidates and make independent decisions about who could be president.

Candidates need early support in the election cycle to propel them into the Iowa caucus on February 3, 2020. Otherwise, elite Democrats will determine who is even considered for the nomination, as opposed to the people. With that in mind, the public’s knowledge of early candidates is as important as it is in the weeks leading up to Election Day.

From Sen. Elizabeth Warren to former Senate hopeful Beto O’Rourke, there are now 15 Democrats and one Independent seeking the Democratic nomination. Despite the pool numbers being so high, only six candidates appear to stand a fighting chance.

Sitting senators Warren (D – MA), Cory Booker (D – NJ), Bernie Sanders (I – VT), Kamala Harris (D – CA), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D – NY) are among the top five candidates, but O’Rourke’s success in his 2018 senatorial run makes him popular among young voters. Additionally, other top democrats are hoping former Vice President Joe Biden announces his candidacy in the coming months.

When looking closer into the top six, and potentially seven, early candidates, it is key to examine not only their running platform, but also their likeliness of being an overall good candidate for the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

President Trump ran an unprecedented campaign in 2016, and will almost certainly lean into the same tactics come 2020. That means it’s in the DNC’s best interest to nominate a candidate who can successfully run against Trump by debating eloquently and regaining the support of America’s middle class.

Former presidential nominee Hillary Clinton seemed to be the perfect candidate for the DNC, as she is easily one of the most qualified Democrats of the century and a respected leader internationally. Fault lied, though, in her electability. Consequently, moderate Republicans and Democrats alike were left with a “lesser of two evils” complex. For the Democratic party to see any success in 2020, a nominee without this complex is essential.

Therefore, candidates such as Warren and Sanders can objectively be removed from contention solely on the grounds of electability. Though both top progressives with strong anti-Trump platforms that would appease far-left-leaning Democrats, they leave the larger portion of the party isolated. Both candidates have made numerous enemies in the party during the Trump administration, forcing them into the “lesser of two evils” role that Clinton occupied in 2016. That won’t breed Democratic success.

In terms of electability, O’Rourke and Booker seem to be at an advantage. O’Rourke, a young politician who served in the U.S. House for six years, may not be as experienced as other top Democratic candidates, but his more moderate platform makes him more desirable to both moderate Republicans and Democrats who were unable to vote for Clinton.

On the other hand, Booker’s Senate career and more left-leaning platform make him an ideal Democratic candidate, especially because he lacks major enemies in either party.

Looking ahead a year and a half ahead to the 2020 Presidential Election is no simple task. Politics evolve faster than voters can keep up. With the help of the media, candidates’ platforms change and past scandals can reemerge with a vengeance.

For better or worse, the only feasible way the Democratic party will succeed in 2020 is through the nomination of an electable candidate.