2032 U.S presidential election (Porvenir)

The United States presidential election of 2032 was the 62nd quadrennial United States presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2032. In one of the tightest elections in American history, Republican candidate and Indiana Senator Todd Young narrowly defeated Democratic candidate and incumbent Vice President Ruben Gallego.

The election marked the first President born in the 1970s.

Democratic Party nominations
Democratic candidates

As incumbent Vice President, Gallego was widely considered the favorite for the nomination.
 * Ruben Gallego (49), U.S Vice President from Arizona (Nominee)
 * Nina Turner (64), U.S Representative from Ohio
 * Andrew Yang (54), U.S Secretary of Business from New York

U.S Representative Nina Turner served as Gallego's chief opposition, offering a challenge from the left and collecting the support of the Democratic-Socialists in the Party who considered Gallego a neoliberal.

Gallego's campaign initially viewed Turner as a paltry opponent, but following a gaffe by Gallego concerning the South China Sea, Turner began to gain steam. Gallego however quickly recovered, edging Turner in Iowa and walking away with New Hampshire, clinching the nomination by March. At the Democratic National Convention in Manchester, New Hampshire, Gallego chose Minnesota Senator Tina Smith as his running mate.

Republican Party nominations
Republican candidates

Having lost the White House and the last three elections, the GOP stepped back and looked at their problem; Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, and Dan Crenshaw were all ultra-conservative and had served to isolate moderates and independents. Thus, the search began for a more centrist candidate.
 * Todd Young (60), U.S Senator from Indiana (Nominee)
 * Kelly Armstrong (56), Governor of North Dakota
 * Alex Becker (44), CEO from Texas
 * Tom Cotton (55), U.S Senator from Arkansas
 * Jon Huntsman Jr (72), former Russian ambassador and Governor of Utah
 * Rand Paul (67), U.S Senator from Kentucky

Indiana Senator Todd Young was an obvious choice. Young and moderate, Young was well-liked by John Thune and the GOP leadership. When Young announced his candidacy in 2027, he quickly garnered the majority of Republican support.

Young did not however go unchallenged. North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong, a staunch social conservative and religious fundamentalist, railed against Young, labeling him a "RINO". CEO Alex Becker served to split Young's backing among business minded, "Rockefeller" Republicans.

In the Iowa caucus, Armstrong upset Young. Days later, Young carried New Hampshire.

Becker dropped out after losing South Carolina, leaving the race eventually between Young and Armstrong. On Super Tuesday, Young carried the majority of states. Armstrong dropped out, handing the nomination to Young. At the Republican National Convention in Orlando, Florida, Young chose West Virginia Senator Alex Mooney as his running mate.

General Election Campaign
The election mostly focused on the economy and the impact worsened relations with China had left on the country. Young tied Gallego to the policies of the Harris Administration that he claimed had served to irritate and isolate Beijing. Young promised to do for the country what he did for Indiana, and to work with trade partners to make deals that put America first while also giving other nations fair deals that they would accept. Gallego meanwhile ran on his Hispanic heritage, citing the success of himself and the President in rebuilding bridges with Chicanos. Like Harris in the previous elections, Gallego also ran on the success of the New York Accords in creating long term peace between Israel and Palestine.

Despite success in the three previous presidential elections, third party voters and independents failed to corral around a candidate. Jesse Ventura declined to run a second time with the Green Party, and the Libertarians were reeling after disastrous runs in 2024 and 2028. Young beat Gallego in appealing to moderates, and was viewed as the "dead-center" candidate. Neither Young or Gallego however were particularly unpopular with the American people, so a third option was not viewed as such a priority.

Results
On 4 November, the lowest number of voters since 1996 went to the polls, with just 49% of Americans signing their ballots. When the presidency is open, Americans generally vote more than when there is an incumbent President. This was a sign of just how complacent the populace was at the time.

Democratic talking heads on NBC, CBS, and ABC were shocked to see Gallego lose his homestate of Arizona. However, the election was still considered a tossup for most of the night thanks to tight vote counts in the swing states and American South. By the late hours of election night, results hinged on Ohio. Young led Gallego in the electoral college, but still lacked the 270 electoral votes needed to secure the presidency. By 5:00 AM CST, it became apparent that Young held a small lead over Gallego, and the state was soon called for Young. Gallego, unsatisfied, sued the Ohio Elections Commission.

On 18 December, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the Commission's ruling was correct, and that Young had carried Ohio. Gallego conceded, and Young became President-elect.

There was great controversy over the Supreme Court's ruling. Some claimed Ohio Governor and Young's friend Jon Husted had colluded with the Young campaign in rigging the vote. Nevertheless, these accusations were never proven.