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Amy Klobuchar may not be the best known or most outspoken of the declared presidential candidates, but it would be a mistake to overlook the senator from Minnesota. The daughter of a schoolteacher and the granddaughter of a miner, she’s the embodiment of the American Dream.

If the Democrats want to secure the White House in 2020, the Midwest is a must win and Klobuchar stands a good chance of attracting support on her home turf. That neighboring Iowa is the site of the first caucus gives her an even better chance of remaining in the race early and gaining momentum.

Klobuchar is considered one of the more moderate Democratic contenders, and has taken a conservative stance on Israel. Among the Senate Democrats who have declared for 2020, Klobuchar is the only one who voted for the anti-BDS law recently passed by the Senate on February 5. In January 2017, shortly after UN Security Council Resolution 2334 condemning Israeli settlement activity was passed during the Obama administration, Klobuchar co-sponsored a Senate decision condemning it, together with Senators Cory Booker and Marco Rubio. According to JTA, Klobuchar has a long-standing relationship with Minnesota’s Jewish community and is well-liked across the political spectrum.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 749)