‹ 2016  2024 ›
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| United States presidential election, 2020 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 3, 2020 | ||||
| Turnout | 66.2% | |||
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| Nominee | Joe Biden | Donald J. Trump | ||
| Party | Democratic | Republican | ||
| Home state | Delaware | Florida | ||
| Running mate | Kamala Harris | Mike Pence | ||
| Electoral vote | 306 | 232 | ||
| States carried | 25 + DC + NE-02 | 25 + ME-02 | ||
| Popular vote | 81,268,757 | 74,216,722 | ||
| Percentage | 51.3% | 46.9% | ||
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| Presidential election results map. Blue denotes states/districts won by Biden/Harris. Red denotes those won by Trump/Pence. Numbers indicate electoral votes allotted to the winner of each state. | ||||
The 2020 U.S presidential election was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Former U.S Vice President and Democratic candidate Joe Biden defeated incumbent Republican President Donald J. Trump.
The primary issues of the campaign were race relations, the ongoing financial crisis, COVID-19 and America's relationship with China.
Biden was the oldest person elected to the Presidency and only the second Catholic president. Harris was the first African-American & Asian-American to become Vice President.
Background[]
The Donald Trump administration was arguably the most tumultuous Presidential tenure in decades. Thanks to multiple resignations/terminations of cabinet members, in addition to accusations of a extramarital affair by pornographic actress Stormy Daniels, President Trump was viewed as quite vulnerable, with approval ratings dipping below 42% by the time of the election.
Neoliberal Democrats had also led a charge accusing Trump of "colluding" with the Russian government in order to seal his victory, leading to a probe now known as the Mueller Investigation. The investigation was a colossal failure, producing no solid evidence over its three year lifespan.
In 2018, the GOP lost control of the U.S House of Representatives in the year's "Blue Wave" Democratic fervor, further energizing the DNC, and winning more support to their efforts to defeat Trump. When an economic recession spurred by the Coronavirus Plague hit in the first quarter of 2020, the incumbent President, for the first time in decades, was considered the underdog.
Nominations[]
Democratic Party nomination[]
Democratic candidates[]
- Joe Biden (77), former U.S Vice President from Delaware (Nominee)
- Bernie Sanders (79), independent U.S Senator from Vermont
- Tulsi Gabbard (39), U.S Representative from Hawaii
- Elizabeth Warren (71), U.S Senator from Massachusetts
- Michael Bloomberg (78), former Republican and Independent Mayor of New York City, New York
- Amy Klobuchar (60), U.S Senator from Minnesota
- Pete Buttigieg (38), former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana
- Tom Steyer (63), businessman from California
- Deval Patrick (64), former Governor of Massachusetts
- Michael Bennet (56), U.S Senator from Colorado
- Andrew Yang (45), businessman from New York
- John Delaney (57), former U.S Representative from Maryland
- Cory Booker (51), U.S Senator from New Jersey
- Marianne Williamson (68), author from California
- Julián Castro (45), former U.S Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from Texas
- Kamala Harris (56), U.S Senator from California
- Steve Bullock (54), Governor of Montana
- Joe Sestak (69), former U.S Representative from Pennsylvania
- Wayne Messam (46), Mayor of Miramar, Florida
- Beto O'Rourke (48), former U.S Representative from Texas
- Tim Ryan (47), U.S Representative from Ohio
- Kirsten Gillibrand (53), U.S Senator from New York
- Seth Moulton (42), U.S Representative from Massachusetts
- Jay Inslee (69), Governor of Washington State
- John Hickenlooper (68), former Governor of Colorado
- Mike Gravel (90), former U.S Senator from Alaska
- Eric Swalwell (40), U.S Representative from California
- Richard Ojeda (50), State Senator from West Virginia
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The 2020 Democratic primary was a hard fought contest between numerous candidates, in fact, the biggest field of candidates in the post-reform era, surpassing the 2016 GOP field.
Hillary Clinton's sound defeat in the 2016 presidential election left the Democratic Party leaderless. Thanks to a "civil war" for Party dominance between Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's Neoliberals and 2016 runner-up Bernie Sanders' Progressives, 2020 wasn't the proverbial slam-dunk Democrats had hoped for, despite President Trump's unpopularity. The 2020 Democratic primary was a hard fought contest between numerous candidates, in fact, the biggest field of candidates in the post-reform era, surpassing the 2016 GOP field.
Hillary Clinton's sound defeat in the 2016 presidential election left the Democratic Party leaderless. Thanks to a "civil war" for Party dominance between Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's Neoliberals and 2016 runner-up Bernie Sanders' Progressives, 2020 wasn't the proverbial slam-dunk Democrats had hoped for, despite President Trump's unpopularity.
At first, there were three candidates who were considered the most viable. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren was one of the first candidates to enter the race, and quickly attempted to obtain the majority of progressive support. While her poll numbers were initially high, most Berniecrats refused to accept her for her prior support for Hillary Clinton. When Sanders himself announced his run, many of his supporters would continue to support him despite his endorsement of Hillary Clinton in 2016, as he appealed to voters as "America's Grandpa". Former Vice President Joe Biden garnered neoliberal and establishment support, but was also firmly rejected by progressives due to his history of support for imperialist and anti-drug policies. California Senator Kamala Harris was viewed with interest, but was plagued by baseless smears of her prosecutorial record by fringe candidate and Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.
Other candidates included former U.S Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro and former Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke who fought over Hispanic, particularly, Chicano voters. The two even had a heated exchange during the first debate on who had better served Hispanics over the course of their careers. Montana Governor Steve Bullock also ran as the "reasonable centrist". After an unfortunate gaffe concering nuclear dearmenant however, his support collapsed.
In Iowa, South Bend Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg won, despite Bernie Sanders winning the popular vote. In New Hampshire, Sanders won, narrowly defeating Buttigieg, then followed Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar. New York Businessman Andrew Yang, Colorado Senator Michael Bennet and former Massachusetts Governor Patrick dropped out after New Hampshire. In Nevada, Sanders won an overwhelmingly victory, followed by a Biden landslide in South Carolina.
Before Super Tuesday, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar dropped out and endorsed Biden, this helped Biden win a massive on Super Tuesday, winning in unexpected states like Minnesota, Massachusetts and Maine. After Super Tuesday, Elizabeth Warren and former Republican and independent NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg dropped out. Bloomberg endorsed Biden, but Warren didn't endorse until the convention.
In the next primary states, Biden would win every contest except for North Dakota, which went for Bernie Sanders. Sanders would drop out on April 8th, 2020, making Biden the presumptive nominee.
Republican Party nomination[]
In Iowa, Pete Buttigieg won, despite Bernie Sanders winning the popular vote. In New Hampshire, Sanders won, narrowly defeating Buttigieg, then followed Yang, Bennet and Patrick dropping out. In Nevada, Sanders won an overwhelmingly victory, followed by a Biden landslide in South Carolina.
Before Super Tuesday, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar dropped out and endorsed Biden, this helped Biden win a massive on Super Tuesday, winning in unexpected states like Minnesota, Massachusetts and Maine. After Super Tuesday, Elizabeth Warren and Mike Bloomberg dropped out. Bloomberg endorsed Biden, but Warren didn't endorse until Biden was declared the presumptive nominee.
In the next primary states, Biden would win every contest except for North Dakota, which went for Bernie Sanders. Sanders would drop out on April 8th, 2020, making Biden the presumptive nominee.
Republican Party nomination[]
Republican candidates
- Donald J. Trump (74), U.S President from Florida (Nominee)
- Bill Weld (75), former Governor of Massachusetts
- Joe Walsh (59), former U.S Representative from Illinois
- Mark Sanford (60), former U.S Representatives
Aside from his unpopularity among the general populace, President Trump also faced resistance within his own Party. Rather than assimilate with the alt-right, the "Never-Trumpers" of 2016 were instead emboldened.
Several candidates were floated to primary Trump, including former U.S Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Florida Governor JEB Bush, and even Trump's own Secretary of Defense John Mattis. In the end, three Republicans from the moderate wing of the party attempted to regain control of their party with Former Massachusetts Governor and 2016 Libertarian Vice Presidential nominee Bill Weld, former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh, and former South Carolina Congressman Mark Sanford.
Weld slammed the President for his racism towards Hispanics and Muslims, as well as for maintaining friendly relations with "America's enemies" (Russia and North Korea). Countering, Trump criticized Weld for supposedly weakening American security by supporting "open borders" and the abolition of ICE.
Despite Weld's best efforts, the Republican Party was still very much under the influence of ultra conservatives, and Trump controlled the primary. Weld's best performance was in New Hampshire, but nevertheless, he didn't end up carrying a single state. At the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C, Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were renominated. Violent riots erupted in Charlotte and D.C on the last night of the convention, with Antifa and Black Lives Matter leading protesters against Trump's nomination.
General Election Campaign[]
Going into the general election campaign, Biden was viewed as the decided favorite. Nevertheless, Democratic and anti-Trump activists were still reeling from Clinton's wide lead going into November 2016, and thus campaigned vigorously on Biden's behalf all the same. Notable surrogates for Cuomo included former President Barack Obama, writer and future President Diego Braun, gun violence advocate David Hogg, and many former and incumbent members of Congress from both sides of the aisle.
At the second and final presidential debate, Trump lost his composure and launched into an angry rant against Biden and working class voters who had "betrayed him". The majority of Americans polled after the debate said the rant hurt Trump's credibility.
Results[]
Biden defeated Trump by a comfortable margin in both the electoral and popular votes. He was the first Democrat to win Arizona since Bill Clinton in 1996, and the first to win Georgia since Clinton in 1992.