Which POTUS Candidates Are Best
for the AEC? Guess Again.

by ANGELA HURNI, FieldLens | Oct 14, 2015

With the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign already in full swing, investment in our nation’s infrastructure is gaining momentum as a top issue for the next administration. CG/LA Infrastructure, Inc., as part of its Blueprint 2025 initiative, has ranked all current Republican and Democratic candidates according to their ability to catalyze infrastructure investment.

The rankings consist of presidential candidates who placed the highest in their prior achievements in building infrastructure, their plans of action for building future infrastructure, and their ability to bring together a diverse team to get infrastructure work done. The candidates leading this pack are not the ones leading the polls.

Tied for first place, each receiving 18 points, are Democrat Bernie Sanders and Republican John Kasich. Sanders is known for being the most vocal on the issue, especially while campaigning, and for proposing investment in infrastructure in the Senate. He promotes allocations for the Highway Trust Fund, passenger and freight rail, and a national infrastructure bank.

Similarly, Kasich’s passion is shown through his track record in making infrastructure a priority and passing a sound transportation budget in Ohio. His two-year, $7-billion transportation budget, which passed in July, includes 1,600 state construction and maintenance projects.

In second place among Republicans is Donald Trump, with 17 points. Trump earned his spot due to his experience as a builder and real estate developer, as well as focusing on infrastructure while campaigning. The next closest candidate is Democrat Hillary Clinton in third place, receiving 11 points.

In ranking the candidates, the goal is to get past the rhetoric and promises about building infrastructure, which has not produced results from previous administrations, and to put candidates on the spot about real solutions that will make infrastructure a priority.

In upcoming debates through the next three election cycles, candidates on both sides will be answering questions about their plans for improving the nation’s infrastructure. The most pressing questions they will be asked: Is spending on infrastructure a priority for you? If so, how much will you spend?

The author is a regular contributor to the FieldLens blog, where this article first appeared.