2036 U.S presidential election (Porvenir)

The United States presidential election of 2024 was the 60th quadrennial United States presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 4, 2036. Libertarian nominee and Washington State Governor Diego Braun defeated Democratic candidate and U.S Senator from Mississippi Jeramey Anderson, and incumbent Republican President Todd Young

Primarily, the campaign focused on the Second Great Depression, with all three candidates arguing over who had the best solution to the crisis. Other issues included immigration reform, and foreign policy in response to the rising Ottoman Empire.

Initial results showed Anderson narrowly edging Braun with Young placing a distant third. However, after emails leaked by Russian hackers revealed that the Anderson camp conspired with the Federal Election Commission to rig the vote in several states, Braun became President. Braun was the first Hispanic and Chicano President, the first President from Washington State, the youngest President since John F. Kennedy (inaugurated at 38) and the first President since Millard Fillmore to belong to neither the Republican or Democratic parties.

Background
In 2033, the American stock market crashed sparking the Second Great Depression, in large part thanks to poor relations between the U.S and People's Republic of China leading to a near embargo. The Republican Lankford-Smith Act attempted to remedy the situation by placing a high tariff on imports, but merely added gasoline to the raging fire by spreading the Depression to Europe and Asia. Republicans were blamed by the majority of Americans, with some even pointing to the Trump Administration (2017-2021) as the primary culprits.

2O34 saw Democrats regain control of both Houses of Congress in a super majority. Polling however showed that most Americans who voted Democratic merely did so believing they were the "lesser of the two evils". A large percentage of voters blamed former Presidents Kamala Harris and Barack Obama for the crisis just as much as they did Trump and Young. Both parties were historically unpopular, but Democrats were naturally favored in the presidential election being the President's primary opposition.

Thanks to general distaste for the GOP and DNC, and growing bothsidesism, the Libertarian, Green, and American Delta parties saw an unprecedented rise in their respective memberships and approval. With a handful of elected officials around the country, the Libertarians were particularly watched, many seeing them as the most viable third party, and there was genuine speculation on whether or not a third-party candidate could win leading up to the election.

Democratic Party nomination
Democratic candidates


 * Jeramey Anderson (45), U.S Senator from Mississippi (Nominee)
 * Justin Chenette (45), U.S Senator from Maine
 * Jeff Jackson (53), former U.S Senator from North Carolina
 * Trey Martinez Fischer (66), Governor of Texas
 * Josh Gottheimer (61), U.S Senator from New Jersey
 * Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (64), former Governor of California
 * Cory Booker (67), U.S Senate Majority Leader from New Jersey
 * Ro Khanna (60), U.S Representative from California

2036 was viewed by enthusiastic Democrats as their greatest opportunity to reclaim the White House since 2020.

The vast majority of Democratic voters had moved farther and farther to the left thanks to the Depression, with many openly embracing Socialist ideas. Most Liberals corralled around Maine Senator Justin Chenette after his early announcement in April 2035. A protege of Bernie Sanders, Chenette promised radical economic policies upon his ascension to the Presidency. California Congressman Ro Khanna ran on an anti-war platform, and thus gained a cult following among some leftists.

In spite of their own electorate, Democratic leaders were reluctant to nominate a hardliner, instead opting for someone they viewed as more electable. Former North Carolina Senator Jeff Jackson, Texas Governor Trey Martinez Fischer and New Jersey Senator Josh Gottheimer all proudly carried the banner of centrists, but were largely ignored by the DNC. The Democratic echelon instead threw their weight behind Mississippi Senator Jeramey Anderson. A devout Neoliberal, Anderson had shocked the political world when he was elected in 2030. Anderson was known for criticizing the "Sanders Wing" of the Party, and firmly denounced political extremes, eliciting vitriol from hardcore liberals. With Chenette backed by grassroots voters, and Anderson backed by the establishment, a hard fought contest was anticipated.

After announcing his campaign, Anderson took a notably softer stance towards Democratic-Socialism, now praising the same policies he had earlier disparaged. This shift convinced few liberals, and instead drew Anderson criticism for what was seen as cynical pandering. During debates, Anderson and Chenette often clashed, many times leading to moderator intervention. During the Iowa caucus debate, former California Governor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson called out the questions for excluding himself and the other candidates, claiming the debates were orchestrated "cage fights" between Anderson and Chenette staged for television ratings.

Chenette carried Iowa, with Jackson in second, and Anderson in third. When Chenette again carried New Hampshire ahead of Anderson and Jackson, Anderson's camp entered panic mode. Anderson's prominent supporters such as former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Ruben Gallego, and U.S House Speaker Ben Luján came out in full force, stumping for Anderson in the battleground states.

Jackson dropped out shortly after a scandal in February, leaving Anderson to pick up his support in South Carolina and carry the Palmetto State. On Super Tuesday, Anderson and Chenette virtually matched each other in gains, but Chenette held a slight edge due to his earlier victories. It was looking more and more likely that Chenette was going to come out on top, with several pundits calling the race his to lose.

In March, Anderson defied gravity again by winning the vast majority of the states up for grabs. From that point forward, most delegates went to Anderson, and he clinched the nomination in June after edging Chenette in California, leaving liberals dumbfounded. Anderson chose Gottheimer as his running mate.

At the Democratic National Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota, an angry floor fight erupted between Anderson and Chenette's delegates. Several Chenette delegates ended up walking out, refusing to support Anderson even though Chenette himself had endorsed the presumptive nominee. Eventually, police were able to calm the convention, and Anderson and Gottheimer were nominated.

Libertarian Party nomination
Libertarian candidates


 * Diego Braun (38), Governor of Washington State (Nominee)
 * Howard Napier (56), Governor of Oregon
 * Adam Kokesh (54), activist from New Mexico
 * Jimmy Dore (71), comedian from California

Libertarians were coming off their greatest showing in electoral history, and were energized about 2036.

Washington State Governor Diego Braun was viewed as the obvious choice. Braun was a champion of Libertarian-Leftism, and was largely responsible for the party's shift towards liberalism. As Governor, Braun had seen the homelessness rate in Seattle drop from a staggering 12,500 to 500, and had kept his state afloat during the Depression. Beloved by many political elements, Braun announced his campaign in front of the Space Needle in 2035, promising to do for the country what he had done for Washington State.

Braun was not without opposition. Neighboring Oregon Governor Howard Napier, a pro-life Libertarian with anarchist tendencies, was quick to jump into the race after Braun did. Braun and Napier had traded barbs for many years, and this match up was not unexpected. Notably, during the first debate hosted by Snapchat, Braun was asked a question concerning homeschooling, a practice he had restricted in Washington through legislation as Governor. After again denouncing homeschooling and refusing to promise that he wouldn't have it outlawed altogether as President, Braun was forced to engage in a heated back-and-forth with Napier, during which Braun referred to Napier as a "fool", and which only ended upon intervention by moderator Jim Acosta. Comedian Jimmy Dore of California also ran as a gadfly candidate, using his time in the debates to slam Braun as part of the political establishment, citing his donations to Kamala Harris and other Democrats. In late 2035, Dore was accused of sexual misconduct by a former employee of The Young Turks during Dore's time with the company, followed by a proverbial avalanche of further accusations, and thus forcing him to withdraw. After defeating Napier by just 500 votes in Iowa, Braun carried New Hampshire and South Carolina in landslides. He went on to carry every state including Napier's stomping grounds of Oregon. At the Libertarian Nation Convention in Seattle, Braun and his political mentor and U.S Senator from New Mexico Gary Johnson were nominated for the positions of presidential and vice presidential nominee respectively. The convention received extensive media coverage. Significant moments included Democratic California Governor David Hogg's speech endorsing Braun, and Taylor Swift's performance of "Shake it Off" which was watched by 45 million viewers.

Republican Party nomination
Republican candidates


 * Todd Young (64), U.S President from Indiana
 * Austin Knudsen (55), U.S Senator from Montana
 * Thomas Massie (66), U.S Senator from Kentucky
 * Nancy Mace (59), U.S Senator from South Carolina
 * Chris McDaniel (65), Governor of Mississippi

The presidential election in 2036 was dreaded by most of the Republican Party, as they were widely expected to lose. Young, up and coming Republicans looked to 2040 and beyond. Party leadership instead focused their efforts on congressional races. President Young, despite being the most unpopular President since Trump, sought reelection, asking the American people "for four more years to do the right thing". Young by this time had widely lost control over the activist base of his party, and as such attracted a primary challenge from his right. Chief among these Republican dissidents was Austin Knudsen, an alt-right rabble rouser from Montana beloved by the Zionist lobby, and known for defeating an incumbent in his first federal race. Libertarian-lite Senator Thomas Massie of Kentucky ran openly against both Young, and his fellow primary challengers, offering the anti-war and pro-immigration sentiment of Diego Braun minus the socialist economic policy. Despite this assault from within the party, Young rode off his incumbency, and was renominated by the GOP at the convention in Chattanooga, Tennessee along with Vice President Alex Mooney.

General election campaign
Most of the general election campaign saw a battle between Braun and Anderson, as the Young/Mooney ticket was seen as having had no chance at victory, and was referred to as a "sacrificial lamb" by several pundits. Anderson's main argument against Braun was his supposed extremism. PACs associated with Anderson ran ads using the moniker "Comrade Braun". His friendship and connections with newly appointed Chinese President Jinhao Qi were often called into question, alongside allegations he was supported by "authoritarians" such as Vladimir Putin of the Eurasian Union, Đorđe Čabarkapa of Serbia, and Kim Jong-un of North Korea. Braun countered by saying that while he renounced communism, America was essentially under the rule of corporate governance, and it was high time for the top 1% of citizens to pay their fair share. He also firmly denied ties to foreign regimes, but promised friendly relations with countries American diplomacy had isolated, even calling Anderson a hypocrite and pointing out donations Anderson had received from Saudi and Chinese benefactors.

Braun fulfilled a campaign promise of visiting all 52 states, plus American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S Virgin Islands over the course of the race. He focused on rural areas, and traveled to many small towns across the country. Anderson meanwhile campaigned almost exclusively in cities.

Unsatisfied by Braun and refusing to support Anderson or Young, anarcho-capitalist and conservative libertarians finally split off from the party, and backed activist Adam Kokesh, who ran with the American Delta Party. While Kokesh gained little ground, the split was permanent and irrevocably changed the Libertarian Party in fundamental ways. From 2032 onward, the Party belonged to Libertarian-Leftists.

Results
70% of American voters took part in the election, the highest voter turnout since 1900. This started a trend of high voter turnouts that would last for half a century more.

As anticipated, Braun and Anderson remained neck and neck for most of the night. Rubio managed to carry some of the Midwestern states, but it was quickly obvious the Republicans would not retain the White House, the party's fate sealed after Braun carried the once reliably-red state of Texas with Young in dead last.

The next day saw Florida and Ohio being called for Anderson, giving him more than the required 270 electoral votes. It seemed that Jeramey "The Comeback Kid" Anderson had once again prevailed. Much of the country was embittered, claiming election rigging. Anderson's apologists argued that Braun, Kokesh, and had Young split each other's votes and thus had given Anderson the narrow victories in the battleground states that he won.

On 1 December, 2036, Russian hacking group Fancy Bears leaked documents detailed a conspiracy between the Anderson camp and the Federal Election Commission. As a result, the already angry American populace was livid. Protests and riots took place across the country, demanding a recount. Finally, on Christmas Eve, the FEC held a recount that showed Braun winning in a landslide.

Braun was inaugurated 20 January, 2037, right on schedule. Millions gathered to watch the first Chicano President deliver his inaugural address. Braun reflected on the historical impact of a second-generation American, the son of a blue collar worker from Mexico being elected to the highest office in the nation. He thanked his supporters, and concluded by saying, "America rightfully belongs to anyone who accepts and believes in her God-given principles of equality, freedom, and compassion. I cannot promise utopia. What I can promise is that the American people regardless of gender, color, or creed will face any and all problems that may come her way united not divided, forever and always. Muchas gracias, y Dios bendiga a los Estados Unidos de América". The inauguration ceremony was a resounding success and featured performances from Victoria Justice, Camila Cabello, Pitbull, Miguel, Taylor Swift, Donald Glover, Willow Sage Hart, Sabrina Carpenter, DJ Snake, and Keith David.

As a result of their meddling, the FEC was dissolved. America's two-party system also faced backlash, and would eventually collapse as well. The United States, one of the last remaining first-world countries dominated by a political oligarchy, joined the rest of the planet in ensuring that two political groups would never dominate its elections again.