Nearing the Election Season: 2024 Campaign Updates

As the 2024 Presidential Elections draw nearer, candidates are beginning to campaign in competition for the top spot in the nation (White House, Wikimedia Commons).

For most Americans, polls, lengthy debates, and various booths dotted with red, white, and blue mark the beginning of the fall election season. However, the events differ in the political realm. Throughout the summer, campaigners try numerous strategies—from flying across the country and delivering fiery speeches to posting on Instagram and TikTok—all with the unanimous goal of being addressed as “President of the United States.” As the 2024 general election approaches, candidates are already beginning to prepare for the long race ahead.

The Democrats: Candidates, Updates, and Strategies

On April 25, Joseph (Joe) Biden, the current United States President, announced his plans to partake in the 2024 election. According to a CBS news poll directly preceding the announcement, most Democrats approve of President Biden but greet the news of his reelection with acceptance rather than excitement. About 86 percent of Democratic survey takers expressed age as a potential concern for reelection: 55 percent of survey takers agreed with the decision to run, while 45 percent disagreed. Judging the geographical voter strength, Biden intends to channel additional support from Caucasian, rural, and suburban voters in Southern states. Julie Chavez Rodriguez, the Biden-Harris Campaign manager, intends to micro-target support by using digital media. This will likely be orchestrated through the use of TikTok, one of many “innovative strategies to break through and connect with voters where they are.” Biden also visited the swing state of Pennsylvania in late June, highlighting infrastructure advancements as a strength.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nephew of John F. Kennedy, began his campaign on April 19, 2023. He rose to popularity during the coronavirus pandemic as well as during the Russia-Ukraine war due to his anti-vaccine theories and political beliefs. Kennedy solidified his future plans to secure the borders and manage war financing in a recent visit to Greenville, South Carolina. Additionally, Kennedy assured that he would adhere to similar policies introduced by John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy. Addressing the Greenville crowd, he said he believes in “all of the causes that John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy [believed in]... If you go down the checklist of the things they cared about, I [Kennedy Jr.] would check every single box.”

The last Democratic candidate, Marianne Williamson, is a career self-help book author. She formally announced her desire to run on February 23, 2023. Her audience is notably large on TikTok, and she intends to gather support from younger audiences. Recently, as of July 6, six staffers left the Williamson team due to a debate over ballot access operations. Williamson’s three-person South Carolina operation resigned while two national field directors and a member of Wiliamson’s New Hampshire team were fired.

The Republicans: Candidates, Updates, and the First 2024 Debate

With several new candidates being involved in the primaries, introducing themselves to voters has been especially crucial. Frequent topics for discussion include abortion, education, border security and defense, as well as Americanizing jobs. Of the candidates, eight qualified for the first 2024 Republican presidential debate: they are Florida governor Ron DeSantis, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.S. vice-president Mike Pence, former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina senator Tim Scott, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, North Dakota governor Doug Burgum, and former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson. Former U.S. President Donald Trump made it official on Sunday, August 20, that he will miss the first Republican presidential debate. Perry Johnson, Francis Suarez, and Will Hurd are three of the five candidates who did not make the polling.

The first Republican debate began in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on August 23, 2023. 53 percent of Republican voters expressed concerns for inflation and rising costs as a primary voting instigator. 36 percent expressed concerns for immigration control, 25 percent based voting on anti-liberalism, and the remaining 25 percent gauged candidates based on potential success. Voters look forward to the debate—eagerly anticipating involvement from the new candidates since it provides an outlet to judge first impressions and clarify views. With the onset of the primaries, further news coverage and analysis is yet to arrive.