Everything You Need To Know About The 2024 Elections

The coveted role of President of the United States is up for grabs again as the 2024 elections loom near! This article will tell you everything you need to know about the elections - from the up-and-coming Republican candidates vying for the party nomination to serious questions surrounding Donald Trump’s electability owing to his criminal charges. Let’s take a look at all the candidates in the running, starting with the Republican nomination. Although Donald Trump is the current favorite amongst the Grand Old Party, he is currently grappling with criminal charges of election fraud and conspiracy against the U.S. government. Thanks to this, a number of candidates have an unexpected chance to be in the limelight. But who are these up-and-coming GOP candidates?

Asa Hutchinson (Republican)

Former Arkansas governor Hutchinson is one of the few anti-Trump Republicans amongst the candidates. He is currently lagging far behind in the presidential race at less than 1% in national polls. 

Chris Christie (Republican)

Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey, is one of few anti-Trump politicians, often voicing heated opinions against the former president. However, he still lags behind with single digits in the opinion polls.

Doug Burgum (Republican)

Another lesser-known candidate, Doug Burgum is the governor of North Dakota, and has pushed for abortion bans and tax cuts.

Nikki Haley (Republican)

Haley is the former governor of South Carolina, and a United Nations ambassador in the Trump administration. She is a more moderate Republican than a number of her fellow candidates, yet polls show that she has only 9% of national support. 

Ron DeSantis (Republican)

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is a prominent Republican candidate, famous for his policies on preventing the teaching of critical race theory and LGBTQIA+ material in schools. 

Ryan Binkley (Republican)

Binkley is a pastor who has never run for office. He has not qualified for the debates, and is virtually unknown amongst the public.

Tim Scott (Republican)

South Carolina senator Tim Scott lingers behind in the field, polling at 3% on Nov. 7th. Scott dropped out on Nov. 12. However, he did make it to all three of the debates, and the end of his campaign was primarily due to monetary reasons.

Vivek Ramaswamy (Republican)

This fiery multimillionaire’s Trump-esque approach to extremist Republican politics has attracted many a GOP debate viewer, yet he still lags behind at a measly 5%  in national polls as of Nov. 7, next to Trump himself, who is at 56%. Some of his beliefs include that climate change is a hoax and the voting age should be lifted to 25.

Now, let’s learn about the Democrat and independent side of things.

Joe Biden (Democrat)

Biden, our current president, is the favorite among Democrats for the party nomination. However, some people are concerned that his age makes him unfit for the task, as he will be 81 when the election rolls around.

Dean Phillips (Democrat)

The only other Democrat candidate in the running to hold an elected office, Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips is presenting himself as an alternative candidate to Biden, on the argument that Biden’s age makes him unfit for office.

Marianne Williamson (Democrat) 

Marianne Williamson is a self-help author and a long-shot candidate for president, although she had some traction back in 2020 when there were more candidates in the running.

Cenk Uygur (Democrat)

Talk show host Cenk Uygur is another unlikely candidate and is virtually unknown in the party. 

Robert Kennedy Jr. (Independent)

Moving onto the independent candidates, anti-vaxxer (someone who does not believe in vaccines) Robert Kennedy Jr., the nephew of John F. Kennedy is in the running, even though he is not likely to win.

You may be wondering “Why do I need to know these things?” After all, we students still have several years before we are eligible to vote. However, it is still important to be educated citizens of our nation, and be well-informed on the issues that America faces today. We are the future of the nation, and we must take the world given to us from the previous generations, and transform it into a utopia. One day, it will be up to us to decide which candidates will tackle the complex problems that our country faces.