2024 United States presidential election (YoungLibertarian20)

The 2024 United States presidential election was the 60th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. The Republican ticket of former President Donald Trump and U.S. Senator from South Carolina Tim Scott defeated the Democratic ticket of Vice President Kamala Harris and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. Trump took office as the 47th president, and Scott as the 50th vice president, on January 20, 2025. Upon re-election to a second nonconsecutive term, Trump became the first former President to accomplish this since Grover Cleveland in 1892. He also became the first Republican to carry a plurality of the nationwide popular vote since George W. Bush in 2004. His vice presidential running mate, Tim Scott, became the second African-American to be elected Vice President. Harris was the second female, second African-American, and first Asian-American presidential nominee of a major political party.

The series of presidential primary elections and caucuses were held from February to June 2024. First-term incumbent President Joe Biden, a Democrat, chose to not seek re-election, becoming the first President to do so since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. Vice President Harris had secured the Democratic nomination after being locked in a three-way battle against former Secretary of Transporation Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She was the first sitting Vice President to receive their party's presidential nomination since Al Gore in 2000. Former President Donald Trump faced opposition from a handful of Republican rivals but would win the nomination carrying every state and territory in the primary process. Trump became the first former President to be nominated for their major party's presidential nomination since Grover Cleveland. He was also the first major-party presidential nominee be featured in three presidential elections since Franklin D. Roosevelt. On August 1, 2024, Trump announced U.S. Senator Tim Scott as his running mate. Scott became the first African-American vice presidential candidate to be nominated by the Republican Party and the second overall. Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura secured the Green Party presidential nomination and selected Dario Hunter as his running mate. Former U.S. Representative Justin Amash secured the Libertarian Party nomination and would select former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee as his running mate.

Central issues of the election included high inflation which plagued much of Biden's presidency, the Supreme Court's role in overturning of Roe v. Wade, the state of the economy, heightened U.S.-China-Russia relations and increased climate change regulations. In the lead-up to the elections, many election laws enabling expansion of universal mail-in ballots were revised in the wake of Republican victories in the 2022 midterm elections. Despite this, overall election turnout still registered at an estimated 61.6%. The Democratic Party's performance in the election featured the smallest percentage of the popular vote since 1992. Trump flipped five states and a district Biden won in 2020 that he previously won in 2016: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska's 2nd congressional district, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. He also flipped Nevada, the first time the state voted Republican since 2004. Jesse Ventura, the Green Party's nominee, led the party to its strongest showing in a presidential election since its founding. Many political historians attributed to Ventura as a "spoiler" for Harris' defeat in the election, while others attributed the loss to Biden's unpopularity and Trump's loyal base.

Background
Article Two of the United States Constitution states that for a person to serve as president, the individual must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, be at least 35 years old, and have been a United States resident for at least 14 years. Candidates for the presidency typically seek the nomination of one of the various political parties in the United States. Each party develops a method (such as a primary election) to choose the candidate the party deems best suited to run for the position. Primary elections are usually indirect elections where voters cast ballots for a slate of party delegates pledged to a particular candidate. The party's delegates then officially nominate a candidate to run on the party's behalf. The presidential nominee typically chooses a vice presidential running mate to form that party's ticket, which is then ratified by the delegates at the party's convention (except for the Libertarian Party, which nominates its vice-presidential candidate by delegate vote regardless of the presidential nominee's preference). The general election in November is also an indirect election, in which voters cast ballots for a slate of members of the Electoral College; these electors then directly elect the president and vice president. If no candidate receives the minimum 270 electoral votes needed to win the election, the United States House of Representatives will select the president from among the three candidates who received the most electoral votes, and the United States Senate will select the vice president from among the candidates who received the two highest totals. The presidential election occurred simultaneously alongside elections for the House of Representatives, the Senate, and various state and local-level elections.

Overview
Donald Trump was defeated by Joe Biden in 2020 and was impeached by the House of Representatives for the second time. He was acquitted in his second impeachment trial in 2021 by the Senate, and eligible to run again in 2024. Leading up to the beginning the primaries, the party had widely seen Trump as the frontrunner for the nomination. Party loyalists highlighted that Trump's in-party support was stronger than either of his two prospective opponents, Biden or Vice President Harris. Despite this, he would still see opposition amongst his party for the nomination. Some in the party felt that it needed a "fresh and younger" face following President Biden's decision to not run. Trump had reportedly "widely expected "to face Biden in the general election until the latter's decision to not seek re-election. The most prominent challengers to emerge to Trump were former U.S. Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, as well as former Governor Chris Christie. Former Vice President Mike Pence was previously seen as a potential challenger as well as ruling out a future run for office.

Despite the opposition, a clear primary opponent to Trump did not easily emerge. He continued to dominate polls with a supermajority of the party's backing, while the remainder of support was divided amongst undecided voters and his opponents. Many political strategists highlighted his unique position in the primary as a former President seen as more popular than the incumbent. Cheney and Christie were seen as the two individuals most likely to stop Trump from being nominated. Cheney and Trump would notably spar in the first primary presidential debate over her involvement on the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack. Christie refused to air negative campaign ads against Trump, instead attempting to offer a "different face" for primary voters. Trump did not make the same commitment and consistently sparred with his opponents on Truth Social. Many had noted that Cheney and Christie's primary hopes had hinged at denying Trump a majority of the delegates in order to force a contested convention where an alternative candidate such as themselves can be selected. Following a string of losses and dismal numbers in the early primary contests, both Cheney and Christie would go on to suspend their campaigns leaving Trump as the presumptive nominee. None of his opponents managed to win a state in the primary process, marking the first time this occurred since 2000 with Al Gore's win in the Democratic presidential primary. At the party's national convention, Trump became the first former President to be re-nominated by their party since Grover Cleveland.

Withdrawn candidates

 * Liz Cheney, United States Representative from WY-AL (2017–2023) and daughter of the 46th Vice President of the United States, Dick Cheney
 * Chris Christie, 55th Governor of New Jersey (2010–2018; candidate for president in 2016
 * Larry Hogan, 62nd Governor of Maryland (2015-2023)
 * Adam Kinzinger, United States Representative from IL-16 (2011–2023)
 * Francis X. Suarez, 43rd Mayor of Miami (2017–present)

Vice presidential selection
Trump had begun vetting potential running mates even prior to formally announcing his campaign in 2023. He would later confirm that he would not select Former Vice President Pence as his running mate in the 2024 election. Speculation had arisen on whether a minority candidate could be more patable for Trump's general election chances. Close advisers including Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner pushed Trump to nominate a woman, while sons Donald Jr. and Eric pushed for a person of color. Both constituencies were seen as prime targets for expansion of support headed into the general election. Trump himself had notably felt "very much comfortable" with the idea of choosing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis but highlighted challenges in both of them having residency in Florida. He cited his discomfort with ongoing legal issues in New York state as reasons for not being "willing to change state residencies". Trump hinted in rallies that he had a "strong urge" toward three prospective vice presidential candidates. These were later reported by the New York Times and Politico ahead of his announcement on Truth Social. He later announced that he would be selecting Tim Scott as his running mate making him the first African-American to win the Republican vice presidential nomination. He became only the second African-American vice presidential nominee overall, after Kamala Harris in 2020.


 * Mike Pompeo, 70th United States Secretary of State (2018–2021); 6th Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2017–2018), United States Representative from KS-4 (2011–2017)
 * Kim Reynolds, 43rd Governor of Iowa (2017-present); 46th Lieutenant Governor of Iowa (2011-2017); Member of the Iowa Senate from the 48th district (2009-2010)
 * Tim Scott, United States Senator from South Carolina (2013–present); United States Representative from SC-01 (2011–2013), Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 117th district (2009–2011), Member of the Charleston County Council from the 3rd district (1995–2009)

Overview
Every incumbent president seeking another term has been renominated by their party since 1884. Democrat Joe Biden is the incumbent president, elected in 2020, and had previously stated he intends to run for re-election in 2024. He was the oldest person to assume the office, at age 78, and would be 82 at the end of his first term and 86 at the end of his second term, if re-elected. As early as mid to late 2021, as President Biden was suffering from low approval ratings in the polls, speculation began that he would not seek re-election. Following widespread Democratic losses including the U.S. House and Senate in the 2022 midterm elections and abysmal presidential approval ratings, pressure built on the administration to make a decision on the upcoming presidential race. Biden announced in January 2023 that he chose to not seek re-election. Biden's move positioned him as the first sitting president to not seek re-election since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968.

Biden's move would later set off a "democratic civil war" between the progressive and moderate wings of the party. The president was seen as unable to unite the two wings of the party under his presidency. It was seen as likely to have faced a more progressive challenger regardless of the decision. Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg were immediately considered likely frontrunners for the Democratic presidential nomination, having both run for president in 2020. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would later emerge as a voice of the progressive wing of the party, and gain the endorsement of 2016 and 2020 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. Throughout much of the second half of 2023, Ocasio-Cortez would dominate polls over her closest rivals, Buttigieg and Harris. As the primary process advanced further, the three would emerge as the top three choices for the nomination and found themselves locked into a tight primary contest. Many Democratic insiders had noted the strong possibility for a contested convention due to the split of the moderate vote, allowing Ocasio-Cortez to build a lead in polls.

Ahead of the start of the primaries, a clear frontrunner failed to emerge. Ocasio-Cortez and Harris were deadlocked in polls, with Buttigieg close behind. Buttigieg would go on to carry Iowa and New Hampshire, while Harris took Nevada and South Carolina. Ocasio-Cortez finished second in all of the first four contests. Following Super Tuesday, Klobuchar would drop out of the race and endorsed Harris, which was seen as a wide blow to Buttigieg's hopes. Ocasio-Cortez had won both California and Texas which were seen as pivotal delegate-rich states. In the following states, Buttigieg would later suspend his campaign and endorse Harris. This left Harris and Ocasio-Cortez as the remaining candidates in the race in the first time that the top-two finishers of a major party's presidential primary contest were female. Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump had mocked Harris for her "inability to lock it up" following the withdrawal of her opponents. After a bitter primary battle taken to June, Harris would go on to clinch the Democratic nomination. Ocasio-Cortez conceded to Harris on the same day citing the need to unite against Trump in the general election. Harris would become the second female and African-American, as well as the first Asian-American to win a major party's nomination for President of the United States.

Withdrawn candidates

 * Pete Buttigieg, 19th United States Secretary of Transportation (2021–2023); 32nd Mayor of South Bend, Indiana (2012–2020); candidate for president in 2020 and 2024
 * Roy Cooper, 75th Governor of North Carolina (2017–present), 49th Attorney General of North Carolina (2001–2017), Member of the North Carolina Senate (1991–2001), Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives (1987–1991)
 * Amy Klobuchar, United States Senator from Minnesota (2007–present); County Attorney of Hennepin County (1999–2007); candidate for president in 2020
 * Mitch Landrieu, Senior Advisor to the President of the United States for Infrastructure Coordination (2021–2023), President of the United States Conference of Mayors (2017–2018), 61st Mayor of New Orleans (2010–2018), 51st Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana (2004–2010), Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives (1988–2004)
 * Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, United States Representative from New York (2019–present)
 * Martin O'Malley, former governor of Maryland; candidate for President in 2016
 * J. B. Pritzker, 43rd Governor of Illinois (2019–present)

Vice presidential selection
In July of 2024, ahead of the Democratic National Convention, the Associated Press reported that the Harris campaign had narrowed her vice presidential search to six contenders. She later held a joint campaign event with Roy Cooper, announcing him as her vice presidential running mate.


 * Pete Buttigieg, 19th United States Secretary of Transportation (2021–2023); 32nd Mayor of South Bend, Indiana (2012–2020); candidate for president in 2020
 * Julián Castro, 16th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (2014–2017), 181st Mayor of San Antonio (2009–2014), Member of the San Antonio City Council (2001–2005); candidate for president in 2020
 * Roy Cooper, 75th Governor of North Carolina (2017–present), 49th Attorney General of North Carolina (2001–2017), Member of the North Carolina Senate (1991–2001), Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives (1987–1991); candidate for President in 2024
 * John Hickenlooper, U.S. Senator from Colorado (2021-present); Governor of Colorado (2011–2019); Mayor of Denver, Colorado (2003–2011); candidate for President in 2020
 * Jon Ossoff, U.S. Senator from Georgia (2021-present)
 * Gina Raimondo, 40th United States Secretary of Commerce (2021–present), 75th Governor of Rhode Island (2015–2021), 30th General Treasurer of Rhode Island (2011–2015)

General election campaign
Following the historic Republican victories in the 2022 midterms, movements began to restrict mail-in voting and expanding voter identification laws. The COVID-19 pandemic remained prevalent as it was during the 2020 election but was seen as less of a significant campaign issue. Going into the 2024 general election, both of the party's presumptive nominees began to shape their messsages. Vice President Harris focused on defending the Biden administration, and offering a message progress being made. She defended the American Rescue Plan and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and promised a new social spending identical to Build Back Better should she win the election and retake Congress. Former President Trump contrasted this with sharing his plans for a prospective second term as well as praising his administration's accomplishments. Polls showed a volatile race, with Harris and Trump holding very narrow leads over each other. Both candidates were widely seen as "unpopular" and political commentators drew comparisons to the 2016 election matchup. President Biden faced low approval ratings in the low-mid 40's and Vice President Harris' numbers nearly matched the same level.

Former President Trump's approval numbers were consistently only slightly ahead of Harris. Harris was widely seen as one of the most widely unpopular incumbent Vice Presidents in modern history. In the conclusion of the campaign, Harris built a narrow lead in polls over Trump. Both candidates remained historically unpopular and third party candidates gained a prominent following in the weeks leading up to the election. Most Democratic support that had peeled away from Harris opted instead for Green Party nominee Jesse Ventura. Contrastingly, disaffected Republicans voted for Libertarian Party nominee Justin Amash who was formerly a Republican in his own right. Many political analysts and insiders predicted a Harris win, while the RealClearPolitics and FiveThirtyEight's polling aggregates predicted a narrow Trump electoral victory. It was predicted that it could be the closest election since the contested 2000 election between Al Gore and George W. Bush. The final weeks of the campaign proved to be decisive, as many attributed that Trump had defeated Harris in at least two of the three presidential debates while Scott was seen as winning over Cooper in the vice presidential debate.

Close states
States where the margin of victory was under 1% (14 electoral votes, all won by Harris):


 * New Hampshire, 0.1% - 4 electoral votes (won by Harris)
 * Minnesota, 0.3% - 10 electoral votes (won by Harris)

States where the margin of victory was between 1% and 5% (105 electoral votes; 84 won by Trump, 21 won by Harris):


 * Maine, 1.0% - 2 electoral votes (won by Harris)
 * Nebraska's 2nd congressional district, 1.1% - 1 electoral vote (won by Trump)
 * Virginia, 1.4% - 13 electoral votes (won by Harris)
 * Nevada, 2.0% - 6 electoral votes (won by Trump)
 * New Mexico, 2.1% - 5 electoral votes (won by Harris)
 * North Carolina, 2.4% - 16 electoral votes (won by Trump)
 * Arizona, 3.3% - 11 electoral votes (won by Trump)
 * Pennsylvania, 3.4% - 19 electoral votes (won by Trump)
 * Michigan, 3.7% - 15 electoral votes (won by Trump)
 * Georgia, 4.1% - 16 electoral votes (won by Trump)

States/districts where the margin of victory was between 5% and 10% (80 electoral votes, all won by Trump):


 * Wisconsin, 6.0% - 10 electoral votes (won by Trump)
 * Florida, 9.1% - 30 electoral votes (won by Trump)
 * Texas, 9.9% - 40 electoral votes (won by Trump)