As the 2024 election progresses, here’s what we know about our potential presidential candidates. In terms of the Republican primaries, former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador, Nikki Haley has dropped out of the race since Wednesday, March 6th, after a year long bid for the GOP nomination. Haley has made history in the 2024 election as one of the first prominent women of color seeking the Republican presidential nomination. After suspending her campaign, she has refused to endorse Donald Trump, and instead has challenged him to earn his own voters against the current president, Joe Biden, who is predicted to be the Democratic candidate for the election. After losing 14 out of 15 Republican primaries to Donald Trump so far, Haley claims she has “no regrets” about her campaign cycle. While announcing her decision to pull out of the presidential race, Haley stated “I said I wanted Americans to have their voices heard. I have done that,” claiming that she has fulfilled her role in representing anti-Trump groups within the Republican party.
Before Nikki Haley’s suspension of her campaign, Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, dropped out of the 2024 Republican primaries in January, right before the New Hampshire primary. At the end of his running, DeSantis endorsed Donald Trump over the premise that the United States “…can’t go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear, a repackaged form or warmed over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents.” His endorsement of Trump, along with Haley’s plummeting popularity among GOP voters, were some of the factors that contributed to her downfall as Republican nominee for president.
Two weeks before DeSantis’ elimination from the race, former New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie departed the Republican nominee field, not endorsing any of his previous republican rivals. Like Haley, Christy ran a largely anti-Trump campaigning platform, attempting to garner the support of Republican moderates who disliked Trump’s policies and overall message. At the start of the Republican primary race, there were about 25 potential candidates (including long-shot candidates) who registered in polling. Now, Donald Trump has been declared the official Republican nominee and is expected to face Joe Biden on the ballot in November.
Since the beginning of his campaign this election season, Trump has publicized his plans if elected President. Despite the investigations against him, Trump has dominated the race with his policy goals, ranging from dismantling the ‘Deep State’ to ending illegal immigration. He also plans to settle the war between Russia and Ukraine, and institute a system of tariffs of around 10% on most foreign goods. Trump’s economic, government, and foreign policies have become widely popular among his supporters as he continues his campaign.
While voters this November will be asked to pick their preferred presidential nominee, they will also be asked to examine whose policies they prefer. The lack of support for alternate nominees for the Republican party demonstrates that voters have and continue to prefer Donald Trump. In the next few weeks, additional primaries and public opinion polls will examine whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden will win the election for their respective parties.