This year’s packed schedule of Democratic presidential town halls and debates will feature something different: a forum specifically designed to make candidates answer to women of color.

Aimee Allison has one wish for the Democrats’ 2020 presidential pairing: “We cannot have an all-white ticket.”

Not when the Democratic Party’s most loyal voters are women of color, said Allison, an Oakland resident and founder of She the People. The group works to advance women of color in politics, and will host the first presidential forum focused on their issues April 24 in Houston.

WASHINGTON – A presidential forum focusing on issues important to women of color has drawn four more Democratic hopefuls, signaling the key role these women are likely to play in the 2020 battle for the party’s nomination.