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 2024 U.S. presidential election | |
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From January 23 to June 8, 2024, presidential primaries and caucuses were organized by the Democratic Party to select the delegates to the 2024 Democratic National Convention, to determine the party's nominee for president in the 2024 United States presidential election. The elections took place in all U.S. states (except for Florida and Delaware), the District of Columbia, five U.S. territories, and Democrats Abroad.[15]
Incumbent President Joe Biden had repeatedly expressed his intent to run for re-election since 2021, although there was speculation in the first two years of his presidency that he might not seek a second term due to his age and low approval ratings.[16][17] Former Democratic House representatives, including Carolyn Maloney,[18] Joe Cunningham,[19] and Tim Ryan,[20] had publicly said Biden should not run. There was also speculation that Biden may face a primary challenge, especially from a member of the Democratic Party's progressive faction.[21][22]
After Democrats outperformed expectations in the 2022 midterm elections, many believed the chances that Biden would run for and win his party's nomination had increased.[23][24] On April 25, 2023, Biden announced via a video that he would be running for re-election.[25] Eventually, three main primary opponents emerged; self-help author Marianne Williamson declared her candidacy in March,[26] Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist and environmental attorney,[27] declared in April,[28] while Representative Dean Phillips declared in October.[29] Additionally, the Uncommitted National Movement, supported by some Muslim Americans, Arab Americans, progressives, and socialists began advocating in 2024 for an uncommitted vote in protest against Biden due to his support for Israel during the Israel–Hamas war.[30][31][32]
Kennedy withdrew from the Democratic primaries in October 2023 to run as an independent candidate.[33] Williamson suspended her campaign following the Nevada primary in February 2024,[34] before unsuspending her campaign following the Michigan primary later that month.[35] On March 6, 2024, Phillips suspended his campaign and endorsed Biden.[36] Phillips received the second-highest number of delegates in the primaries (four delegates gained).[37][38] Biden lost American Samoa to venture capitalist Jason Palmer,[f] becoming the first incumbent president to lose a contest while appearing on the ballot since Jimmy Carter in 1980.[39] However, he won every other contest by a large margin.
President Biden withdrew his candidacy on July 21, following a series of age and health concerns, writing that doing so was "in the best interest of my party and the country". He endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.[40] By the next day, Harris had secured the support of enough delegates to make her the presumptive nominee.[41] Harris became the nominee following a virtual roll call with the support of approximately 98.9% of the delegates and opposition from 52 delegates including notable abstentions from U.S. Representative Mary Peltola, U.S. Representative Jared Golden, and U.S. Senator Jon Tester.[42][43][44] Harris is the first Democratic nominee to be nominated despite not actively campaigning in the primaries since Hubert Humphrey in the 1968 United States presidential election.
Harris and Walz ultimately lost the election to the Republican ticket of Donald Trump and JD Vance.[45]
Pledged delegates by candidate following primaries
[edit]
| Candidate | Pledged delegates[46][47] |
|---|---|
.jpg) | 3,905 |
| Uncommitted | 37 |
.jpg) | 4 |
_(cropped)_(2).jpg) | 3 |
| Total pledged delegate votes | 3,949 |
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Biden | 14,465,519 | 87.09% | |
| N/A | Uncommitted | 706,591 | 4.25% | |
| Democratic | Dean Phillips | 529,486 | 3.19% | |
| Democratic | Marianne Williamson | 473,761 | 2.85% | |
| Democratic | Jason Palmer | 20,975 | 0.13% | |
| N/A | Other candidates | 413,592 | 2.49% | |
| Total votes | 16,609,924 | 100.00% | ||
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| Winner not yet declared |
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Initial pledged delegate allocation
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First-place results by county
Write-in vote totals are excluded from the above election data reporting for the following states, and are added to the total number of votes for candidates for the purposes of candidate vote share calculations:[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]
Candidates
[edit]As of April 2024, more than 190 candidates have filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2024.[51]
Following the withdrawal of President Biden on July 21, 2024, the race became an open contest to be decided at the Democratic National Convention.[52]
Nominee
[edit]| Name | Born | Experience | Home state | Campaign Announcement date | Contests won | Delegates won | Total popular vote | Running mate | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Kamala Harris | October 20, 1964 (age 60) Oakland, California | Vice President of the United States (2021–present) U.S. Senator from California (2017–2021) Attorney General of California (2011–2017) |  California |  Campaign July 21, 2024 FEC filing[53] Website | None | 4,563[54] or 4,567[55][h] (98.87%) | 0[i] | Tim Walz[56] | [57] [58][59] | |
Declined after the primaries
[edit]- Andy Beshear, 63rd Governor of Kentucky (2019–present), 50th Attorney General of Kentucky (2016–2019)[60]
- Pete Buttigieg, 19th United States Secretary of Transportation (2021–present), 32nd Mayor of South Bend, Indiana (2012–2020), candidate for president in 2020[61]
- Hillary Clinton, 67th United States Secretary of State (2009–2013), United States Senator from New York (2001–2009), First Lady of the United States (1993–2001), First Lady of Arkansas (1979–1981, 1983–1992), Democratic presidential nominee in 2016, candidate for president in 2008[62] (endorsed Biden, then Harris after Biden's withdrawal)[63][64][better source needed]
- Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota (2007–present), candidate for president in 2020[65][66] (endorsed Biden, then Harris after Biden's withdrawal)
- Joe Manchin, U.S. Senator from West Virginia (2010–present), 34th Governor of West Virginia (2005–2010) (Independent; expressed interest in running after Biden withdrew, then declined)[67][68]
- Gavin Newsom, 40th Governor of California (2019–present), 49th Lieutenant Governor of California (2011–2019), 41st Mayor of San Francisco (2004–2011)[69][70][65][71] (endorsed Biden, then Harris after Biden's withdrawal)
- Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States (2009–2017)[72][73][65]
- Dean Phillips, U.S. Representative from MN-03 (2019–present), candidate for president in 2024[74]
- Jared Polis, 43rd Governor of Colorado (2019–present)[75]
- Josh Shapiro, 48th Governor of Pennsylvania (2023–present), 50th Attorney General of Pennsylvania (2017–2023)[61]
- Gretchen Whitmer, 49th Governor of Michigan (2019–present), Ingham County Prosecuting Attorney (2016), Minority Leader of the Michigan Senate (2011–2015) from the 23rd district (2006–2015), member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the 69th district (2001–2006)[76]
Withdrew after the primaries
[edit]| Name | Born | Experience | Home state | Campaign announced | Campaign suspended | Campaign | Contests won | Delegates won | Total popular vote | Running mate | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Joe Biden | November 20, 1942 (age 81) Scranton, Pennsylvania | President of the United States (2021–present) Vice President of the United States (2009–2017) U.S. Senator from Delaware (1973–2009) |  Delaware | April 25, 2023 | July 21, 2024[16] (endorsed Harris) |  Campaign | 3,905 (98.9%)[l] | 14,465,519 (87.1%) | Kamala Harris | [78] [57] [79] | ||
.jpg) Marianne Williamson | July 8, 1952 (age 72) Houston, Texas | Author Founder of Project Angel Food Candidate for president in 2020 |  Washington, D.C. | March 4, 2023 February 28, 2024 July 2, 2024 | February 7, 2024 June 11, 2024 July 29, 2024 |  Campaign FEC filing[80] Website | None | 0 (0.0%) | 465,863 (2.8%) | None | [81] [82] [83] [84] [85] [86] | |
Withdrew during the primaries
[edit]| Name | Born | Experience | Home state | Campaign announced | Campaign suspended | Campaign | Bound delegates | Contests won | Popular vote | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jason Palmer | December 1, 1971 (age 52) Aberdeen, Maryland | Venture capitalist |  Maryland | October 22, 2023 | May 15, 2024 (endorsed Biden, later Harris) |  Campaign FEC filing[87] Website | 3 (0.1%) | 1 (AS) | 20,975 (0.1%) | [88] [89] [90] | |
Dean Phillips | January 20, 1969 (age 55) Saint Paul, Minnesota | U.S. Representative from MN-03 (2019–present) CEO of Phillips Distilling Company (2000–2012) |  Minnesota | October 26, 2023 | March 6, 2024 (endorsed Biden, later Harris) |  Campaign FEC filing[91] Website | 4 (0.1%) | None | 529,486 (3.2%) | [92] [93] [94] [95] | |
Other candidates
[edit]- Joe Exotic, owner of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, subject of Tiger King[96](withdrew August 5, 2024, endorsed Donald Trump)[97]
- Cenk Uygur, co-creator of The Young Turks, co-founder of Justice Democrats, Democratic candidate for CA-25 in 2020[98][99][m] (withdrew March 6, 2024)[101]
Withdrew before the primaries
[edit]| Name | Born | Experience | Home state | Campaign announced | Campaign suspended | Campaign | Total popular vote | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. | January 17, 1954 (age 69) Washington, D.C. | Environmental lawyer Founder of Children's Health Defense Founder of Waterkeeper Alliance | California | April 19, 2023 | October 9, 2023 (ran as an independent, later endorsed Trump)[102] |  Campaign FEC filing[103][104] Website | [105] [106] |
Other candidates
[edit]- Jerome Segal, research scholar and Bread and Roses Party nominee for president in 2020[107] (ran for U.S. Senate in Maryland)[108]
Vice-presidential candidate selection
[edit]On January 19, 2022, President Biden confirmed that Vice President Kamala Harris would again be his running mate in his 2024 re-election campaign.[109]
Some Democrats expressed skepticism about Biden choosing Harris again as his running mate, as she had also seen similar low approval ratings to Biden. In January 2023, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren said in a radio interview that she supported Biden's reelection bid, but stopped short of supporting Harris.[110] She later clarified her position, saying she supported the Biden–Harris ticket.[111]
Following Biden's withdrawal, several names were suggested as possible running mates if Harris was nominated to replace him. These included Kentucky governor Andy Beshear, North Carolina governor Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro, and Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer.[112]
On August 6, 2024, Harris chose Minnesota governor Tim Walz to be her running mate.[113]
Primaries and caucus calendar
[edit]Ballot access
[edit]The following is a table of which candidates received ballot access in which states in the Democratic Party primaries.
indicates that the candidate was on the ballot for the primary contest.
indicates that the candidate was a recognized write-in candidate.
indicates that the candidate did not appear on the ballot in that state's contest.
indicates that a candidate withdrew before the election but was still listed on the ballot.
Timeline
[edit] | This section needs to be updated. (February 2024) |
2023
[edit]February 2023
[edit]On February 4, the Democratic National Committee approves a new primary calendar, moving South Carolina to February 3, followed by Nevada and New Hampshire on February 6, Georgia on February 13, and Michigan on February 27. Iowa, which traditionally goes first, would then be held later in the primary season.[182][183] The DNC gives Georgia and New Hampshire an extended deadline of June to modify their state laws so they can comply with the new dates (New Hampshire state law mandates them to hold the first primary in the country, while Georgia state law requires them to hold both the Democratic and Republican primaries on the same day), but this remains unlikely to happen since both states have Republican-controlled state legislatures.[184]
March 2023
[edit]On March 3, the DNC declares their full support for President Biden's re-election, stating they do not plan to host any official debates.[185]
On March 4, author Marianne Williamson announces her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination as the first major primary challenger to incumbent President Biden.[186]
April 2023
[edit]On April 6, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. files to challenge Biden in the 2024 Democratic primary.[187]
The same day, the Idaho Legislature passes House Bill 138, moving the state's presidential primary date to May while also eliminating the original primary date in March.[188][189]
On April 11, the Democratic Party announces that its convention will be held in Chicago, Illinois.[190]
On April 19, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., environmental lawyer and son of Robert F. Kennedy, formally announces his presidential campaign in a launch event in Boston.[191]
On April 25, incumbent Democratic President Joe Biden announces his bid for re-election in 2024.[192]
June 2023
[edit]On June 4, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Instagram account is reinstated after it was suspended in February 2021 for sharing misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine.[193]
On June 11, a Suffolk University poll finds that 8 in 10 Democratic voters would like to see Biden debate other Democratic primary candidates.[194]
On June 15, in an interview on The Joe Rogan Experience, Kennedy raises the belief that he could be assassinated by the Central Intelligence Agency.[195]
On June 17, President Joe Biden begins his campaign at a rally in Philadelphia.[196]
September 2023
[edit]On September 12, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy announces an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, alleging that he benefited from business dealings with his son Hunter.[197]
On September 14, Hunter Biden is indicted on three firearm-related charges returned by a federal grand jury in Wilmington, Delaware.[198]
On September 16, an armed man impersonating a U.S. Marshal is arrested at a Robert Kennedy Jr. campaign event in Los Angeles.[199]
October 2023
[edit]On October 6, the DNC reaches a compromise with the Iowa Democratic Party, allowing the Iowa Democratic caucuses to be held first on January 15, 2024, but voting on presidential candidates would also be done via mail-in ballots until Super Tuesday, March 5, 2024.[200]
On October 9, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. withdraws from the Democratic primaries and launches an independent campaign.[201]
On October 12, progressive commentator Cenk Uygur announces his presidential campaign. Despite his announcement, Uygur is ineligible to serve as president due to being born in Turkey to non U.S. citizens.[202]
On October 16, the Biden campaign launches an account on Truth Social.[203]
On October 24, with New Hampshire state officials moving forward in accordance with their state law mandating them to hold the first primary in the country, denying the DNC's request to hold it after South Carolina's, Biden campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodriguez states that he will not appear on the New Hampshire primary ballot.[204]
On October 26, a man attempts to trespass on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s residence in Brentwood, Los Angeles, and is arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department.[205]
The same day, U.S. Representative Dean Phillips files paperwork to run against President Biden for the Democratic nomination.[206]
On October 27, Dean Phillips launches his presidential campaign in Concord, New Hampshire.[207]
November 2023
[edit]On November 15, The New Hampshire presidential primary date is set for January 23, 2024, defying the DNC's planned schedule.[208]
On November 30, the Florida Democratic Party only submits Biden as a candidate to the Secretary of State of Florida, effectively canceling the state primary.[209]
December 2023
[edit]On December 2, Muslim American leaders launch the #AbandonBiden campaign in Dearborn, Michigan, as a response to Biden's handling of the Israel–Hamas war.[210]
On December 4, Arkansas election officials rule that news personality Cenk Uygur, a naturalized citizen who was born in Turkey, could not appear on the state’s Democratic presidential primary ballot despite his argument that the 14th Amendment of the Constitution makes him eligible to run for president.[211]
On December 7, the Lesser-Known Candidates Forum was held at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics. Twenty minor candidates, both Republican and Democratic, were in attendance.[212]
On December 30, the #AbandonBiden campaign announces plans to expand to all fifty states.[213]
2024
[edit]January 2024
[edit]On January 8, New England College hosts a debate between Williamson and Phillips in Manchester, New Hampshire.[214]
On January 12, mail-in voting for the Democratic caucuses in Iowa begins.[200]
And on the same day, United States Attorney General Merrick Garland appoints Robert Hur as special counsel in President Biden's handling of classified documents case.[215]
On January 18, Phillips holds campaign events in Manchester and Hanover, New Hampshire, with 2020 Democratic Primary presidential candidate Andrew Yang.[216]
On January 22, the New Hampshire attorney general's office begins investigating an audio deepfake robocall of President Biden that encouraged people not to vote in the state primary.[217]
On January 23, President Biden wins the non-binding New Hampshire Democratic primary through write-in votes.[218]
On January 27, President Biden and Congressman Phillips spoke at the South Carolina Democratic Party's First-in-the-Nation Celebration dinner in Columbia, South Carolina.[219]
On January 31, U.S. Senator Tina Smith sent a one-minute video to the Washington Press Club Foundation’s annual congressional dinner "roasting" Representative Phillips over his campaign to challenge President Biden for the Democratic Party's nomination for president.[220][221]
February 2024
[edit]On February 2, the Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimously ordered election officials to put Phillips on the presidential primary ballot after the Wisconsin Elections Commission had excluded him.[222]
On February 3, President Biden wins the South Carolina Democratic primary.[223]
On February 5, Special Counsel Robert Hur releases his report on Biden's handling of classified documents.[224]
On February 6, President Biden wins the Nevada Democratic primary.[225]
On February 7, Marianne Williamson suspends her campaign.[226]
On February 27, President Biden wins the Michigan Democratic primary.[227]
On February 28, Marianne Williamson re-enters the race after the results of the Michigan primary.[228]
March 2024
[edit]On March 5, Super Tuesday President Biden wins fifteen states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia, while businessman Jason Palmer wins American Samoa.[229]
On March 6, Dean Phillips suspends his campaign and endorses Biden.[230] After the endorsement President Biden calls Phillips on the phone. Phillips says the two “had a wonderful conversation” that ended in an invitation to discuss the state of the 2024 race at the executive mansion.[231][232]
The same day, President Biden wins the Hawaii Democratic caucus.[233]
On March 12, President Biden wins the Georgia, Mississippi, Northern Mariana Islands, and Washington primaries, clinching enough delegates to become the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party.[234]
On March 19, President Biden wins the Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, and Ohio primaries.[235] Despite having already dropped out, Dean Phillips won three delegates in the Ohio primary. Congressman Phillips was still on the ballot on election day and gained his delegates by meeting the 15% threshold of votes needed to receive a delegate in a congressional district in the state's 2nd, 6th, and 14th districts.[236]
On March 23, President Biden wins the Louisiana and Missouri primaries.[237][238]
On March 30, President Biden wins the North Dakota Democratic primary which is conducted almost entirely through mail-in ballots.[239][better source needed]
April 2024
[edit]On April 2, President Biden wins the Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.[240] The Delaware Democratic presidential primary was canceled, with the delegates awarded to Biden.[241]
On April 13, President Biden wins the Wyoming Democratic caucus[242] and the Alaska Democratic primary.[243]
On April 23, President Biden wins the Pennsylvania Democratic primary.[244]
On April 27, President Biden wins all 25 of New Hampshire's pledged delegates in a party-backed firehouse primary held by the New Hampshire Democratic Party at Saint Anselm College's New Hampshire Institute of Politics.[245][246]
On April 28, President Biden wins the Puerto Rico Democratic primary.[247]
May 2024
[edit]On May 7, President Biden wins the Indiana Democratic primary.[248]
On May 14, President Biden wins the Maryland, Nebraska, and West Virginia primaries.[249][250][251] Despite having already dropped out, Congressman Dean Phillips won one delegate in the Nebraska primary by receiving the most votes of any candidate in Logan County.[252]
On May 21, President Biden wins the Kentucky and Oregon primaries.[253][254]
On May 23, President Biden wins the Idaho Democratic caucuses.[255]
June 2024
[edit]On June 4, President Biden wins the District of Columbia, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota primaries.[256][257][258][259][260]
On June 8, President Biden wins the Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands Democratic caucuses, the last nominating contests of the primary cycle.[261][262][self-published source?]
On June 11, Marianne Williamson suspends her campaign for a second time.[263]
On June 27, President Biden and former President Trump hold a general election debate hosted by CNN in Atlanta, prior to the nominating conventions.[264]
July 2024
[edit]On July 2, Marianne Williamson re-enters the race for a third time.[265]
On July 21, President Biden suspends his campaign.[266] Vice President Kamala Harris announces her campaign and is immediately endorsed by Biden.[267]
On July 21, U.S. Representative Phillips proposed a straw poll of delegates ahead of the Democratic National Convention to determine the party's top four presidential contenders, who would then take part in four town halls outlining their platforms.[268] After the town halls, the delegates would vote to choose the nominee.[269][270]
On July 22, Senator Joe Manchin rules out a campaign for president, stating that he would have preferred an open convention.[271]
On July 22, a majority of President Biden's pledged delegates pledge support for Harris, making her the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party.[272]
On July 23, U.S. House Representative Mary Peltola of Alaska's at-large congressional district and co-chair of the Blue Dog Coalition for the 118th Congress said she has never endorsed anyone for president and does not intend to start with Harris.[273]
On July 24, Palmer released his delegates and encouraged them to vote for Harris at the convention.[274]
Also, on July 24, the Democratic National Committee votes to adopt new rules for an early virtual nomination vote in the first week of August. The new rules allow superdelegates to vote during the signature collection and on the first ballot of a virtual roll call for the presidential nomination without a candidate having earned an overwhelming majority of pledged delegates earned by them in the primaries.[275][276][277]
On July 25, U.S. House Representative Jared Golden of Maine's 2nd congressional district and co-chair of the Blue Dog Coalition for the 118th Congress told Axios he would "absolutely not" commit to voting for the Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in November and is "going to wait and see what she puts forward and what her vision for the future of the country is.".[278]
On July 26, U.S. House Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington's 3rd congressional district and co-chair of the Blue Dog Coalition for the 118th Congress said that she has "no plans" to endorse Harris. Perez was the last of the three members in the Blue Dog Coalition caucus's leadership, who publicly announced that they were not endorsing Harris for president.[279]
On July 29, Marianne Williamson ends her candidacy for the third and final time.[280]
August 2024
[edit]On August 2, Vice President Kamala Harris earned a majority of delegate votes in the DNC roll call.[43]
On August 4, Twenty-nine Uncommitted delegates from eight states took part in a virtual roll call where they voted for Palestinian victims over Harris.[281]
On August 5, delegate voting closed, and Vice President Kamala Harris became the official presidential nominee for the Democratic Party.[42] 52 delegates voted abstained or voted against Harris, including Representative Mary Peltola, Representative Jared Golden, and Senator Jon Tester.[43]
On August 6, Harris chose Governor Tim Walz as her vice presidential running mate.[113]
Overview
[edit]
| Active campaign | Exploratory committee | Democratic National Convention | |||
| Withdrawn candidate | Primaries |
Early developments
[edit]Biden declared his intent in January 2022 to run for re-election, keeping Kamala Harris as his running mate.[282] On September 15, he told Scott Pelley in a CBS 60 Minutes interview that he had not yet committed to run.[283] In a private conversation with civil-rights activist Al Sharpton on October 3, he reportedly told Sharpton that he was seeking re-election.[284] On October 11, he told Jake Tapper in an interview on CNN that he would decide whether or not to seek re-election after the 2022 midterm elections.[285]
Throughout 2022, several prominent Democrats publicly urged Biden not to run for a second term. On June 23, shortly after winning the Democratic nomination in the South Carolina gubernatorial race, former U.S. Representative Joe Cunningham told CNN that he believed Biden would be too old by the end of his second term and should not run in 2024. CNN pointed out that Biden had endorsed Cunningham in his 2018 and 2020 campaigns.[19] In July, U.S. Representative Dean Phillips of Minnesota said he believed that Democrats should nominate someone from a younger generation in 2024, and fellow Minnesota Representative Angie Craig agreed with him the following week.[20] On August 1, then-U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney told The New York Times that she thought Biden should not run in 2024 and that she believed he would not run. She later apologized and said that he should run again, though she reiterated her belief that he would not.[18] In September, U.S. Representative and Ohio U.S. Senate nominee Tim Ryan similarly called for a "generational move" away from Biden during an interview with a local TV station; Forbes Magazine noted that Biden, who had endorsed Ryan, headlined a rally with him just hours after the interview aired.[20]
In April 2023, Christale Spain became the first black woman to be the Chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party; with the responsibility of organizing the party's first-in-the-nation primary.[286]
Format changes
[edit]Democrats in Idaho, who held caucuses in 2012 and 2016 but switched to a firehouse primary by mail for the 2020 election, will switch back to in-person caucuses due to the abolition of the presidential primary by the Idaho Legislature in 2023.[287] Similarly, the abolition of the state-run presidential primary in Missouri in 2022 caused Democrats in Missouri to switch to a closed, ranked-choice firehouse presidential primary for 2024.[288]
Controversies
[edit]Primary schedule
[edit]President Biden sent a letter on December 1, 2022, to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), requesting that diversity should be emphasized in the 2024 Democratic Party presidential primaries. On February 4, 2023, the DNC formally approved the new 2024 primary calendar, moving South Carolina to hold its race first on February 3, followed by Nevada and New Hampshire on February 6. One member of the Rules and Bylaws Committee who supported this new plan, Lee Saunders, further said it will give a better representation of the composition of the country.[289] Members of the Iowa Democratic Party and the New Hampshire Democratic Party opposed the move, since they would no longer be the first two states to hold their races.[290] The move was also criticized by some progressives, who argued that the move was intended to benefit more moderate candidates.[291][292] On October 6, the DNC and the Iowa Democratic Party reached a compromise in which the in-person caucuses could still be held in January, but delegate-determining mail-in voting would be held through Super Tuesday, March 5.[200] The DNC and the New Hampshire Democratic Party did not reach a compromise. In October 2023, the manager for the Biden campaign, Julie Chávez Rodriguez, confirmed in a letter to the chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party Raymond Buckley that Biden would not appear on the primary ballot in order to comply with the DNC's calendar.[293] Pro-Biden New Hampshire Democrats, including Kathy Sullivan (the former chairwoman of the state Democratic party) and former Representatives Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter, launched a formal write-in campaign on October 30.[294]