US Presidential elections 2024 - Everything you need to know

CHEAT SHEETS

Your inviable guide to the 2024 US presidential candidates. We've compiled all the essential details about the Republicans, Democrats, and Independents currently battling it out for the presidency. From their key policies and campaign promises to their star signs and memorable statements you can use to get a feel for their vibe—we’ve got it all covered.

DEMOCRATS

Joe Biden

Name: Joe Biden

Political party: Democrat

State they’re from: Pennsylvania

Notable policies: A modest gun safety bill expanding background checks, an extensive student loan forgiveness package, and the introduction of the Build Back Better plan—a legislation framework that, if successful, would be the most comprehensive public investment scheme of all time. Biden hasn’t had a massively successful first presidential term, but he managed to issue 121 executive orders—all of which primarily worked towards undoing the work done by his predecessor, Donald Trump.

Key campaign promises: ‘Bidenomics’ (whatever that means, but Biden himself is obsessed with it), the protection of democracy, and restoring America’s global standing—so ultimately, a whole load of waffle. While Biden might try and appear to come across as a politician focused on protecting the rights of LGBTQIA+ individuals and minority communities, he’s failed so far to fight against the rising hate and extreme religious conservatism spreading across the nation. This is an issue he’s trying to combat during the current election cycle.

Star sign: Scorpio. This makes sense because of the fact that Biden is both highly emotional and I’ve heard that Scorpios are known for falling over a lot.

Polling position: It’s giving retirement vibes?

Wildest thing they’ve said: In 2020, during a radio show interview, Biden said this: “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t Black.” Yup... You really can’t make this stuff up.

Marianne Williamson

Name: Marianne Williamson

Political party: Democrat

State they’re from: Texas

Notable policies: The political activist and author who was previously a candidate for the 2020 Democratic Party presidential nomination is back to try her luck again in the 2024 US election. While she has never held an official office, one of her most notable proposed policies is the creation of two government departments: the first being a Department of Peace, which would focus on promoting peace, diplomacy, and conflict resolution both domestically and internationally. Williamson has also proposed the creation of a Department of Children and Youth, with the aim of addressing the challenges and issues faced by these age groups. She has been a vocal critic of what she perceives as neglect by the US government, particularly regarding children’s well-being and education. During her time as a political candidate, Williamson has also emphasised the importance of love, compassion, and holistic well-being in political discourse. In short, the author has presented herself as a new hero for many gen Zers who’ve never really felt represented before.

Key campaign promises: Williamson is also well known for being an advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at guaranteeing equal legal rights regardless of gender. Williamson has also expressed support for the rights of individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+, expressed support for a Medicare for All healthcare system (a proposal for a single-payer healthcare system that would provide universal healthcare coverage to all Americans), advocated for a $100 billion plan for reparations to the descendants of enslaved people, and also been a supporter of the Green New Deal, a proposed policy framework aimed at addressing climate change, promoting renewable energy, and addressing environmental issues while creating jobs and economic opportunities.

Star sign: Cancer, so she gives off serious empathetic energy. On an ego scale, she might score around 4, mainly because all authors have a bit of an ego, but overall, she’s a good vibe.

Polling position: Despite her popularity among young voters and on platforms like TikTok, Williamson faced an uphill battle during the 2020 presidential campaign and did not emerge as a viable contender for victory. Moreover, Williamson’s poll numbers for the 2024 election are still pretty low, suggesting that the candidate will have a relatively small chance to win...

Wildest thing they’ve said: In the midst of her 2020 campaign trail, she once declared: “If you think any of this wonkiness is going to deal with this dark psychic force of the collectivised hatred that this president is bringing up in this country, then I’m afraid that the Democrats are going to see some very dark days.” Pretty deep stuff.

Dean Phillips

Name: Dean Phillips

Political party: Democrat

State they’re from: Minnesota

Notable policies: Minnesota Representative Phillips formally launched his presidential campaign end of October 2023 and filed to run in New Hampshire’s Democratic primary, kicking off his long-shot challenge to President Joe Biden. In Congress, the moderate Democrat diverged from more progressive Democrats on issues such as law enforcement funding and stationing armed police in schools. Phillips, who is Jewish, has also been highly critical of fellow Rep. Ilhan Omar’s past comments on Israel. Phillips encouraged Americans to support the people of Israel while remaining empathetic to “the plight of the Palestinians.”

Key campaign promises: In his opening remarks during his candidacy announcement, Phillips talked about many of the issues he sees the US facing today and how he plans on solving them. He discussed the mounting financial challenges Americans have faced over the last few years, noting, “Today’s America spends more paying our debts to the past than we are investing in our children’s future.” Phillips went on to say: “We fund more for fighting than we do for feeding. Corporations and the well-off, including me, enjoy more favourable tax treatment than hardworking American families.” Phillips also called out his concerns for gun safety, veteran homelessness, and mortality rates.

Star sign: Phillips is an Aquarius, a star sign known to be clever, analytical, technical, truthful, assertive, confident, progressive and innovative. Although, considering Phillips has basically spent his entire campaign gushing over President Biden, we think he gives off more of a Cancer vibe.

Polling position: Even though he doesn’t stand much of a chance of winning the Democratic nomination, Phillips poses a real danger to Biden’s 2024 reelection. Why? Because when he’s not complimenting Biden’s politics, he’s calling into question one of Biden’s biggest weaknesses: his old age. As a result, Phillips’ candidacy could further expose a major Biden vulnerability at a time when the US President is desperate to shore up his poll numbers in battleground states ahead of a likely general-election rematch with former President Donald Trump.

Wildest thing they’ve said: Announcing his candidacy on X (formerly Twitter), Phillips wrote “I promised my daughters when Trump won in 2016 that I’d stand up and do something about it, so I ran for Congress and am now on my third term. I didn’t set out to enter this race. But it looks like on our current course, the Democrats will lose and Trump will be our President again.”

REPUBLICANS

Donald Trump

Name: Donald Trump

Political party: Republican

State they’re from: New York

Notable policies: For context, when it comes to Trump, ‘notable’ really translates to ‘bat shit crazy’. The first few that come to mind include his efforts to reverse climate change progress by initiating the US’ withdrawal from the 2015 Paris Agreement. Moreover, Trump employed a massive overhaul of the immigration system—tightening borders, reducing refugee admissions, and rolling out a highly racist rhetoric that targeted minorities and asylum seekers. Trump also restructured the tax system and shrunk the trade deficit with other countries. His efforts to try and restructure the entire Washington system definitely succeeded at times, particularly when it came to prioritising personal attacks and childish digs as opposed to facts and logic.

Key campaign promises: For his revival, Trump’s primary campaign promises have been centred around crime and punishment. The growing culture wars have given the former president a stage to further rile up conservatives and push for his own brand of anti-establishment far-right agenda. LGBTQIA+ issues are also a hot topic currently, and Trump has made banning gender-affirming care a top priority.

Star sign: Gemini. So basically, that means that Trump spends a lot of time looking at his orange hair in the mirror, lying. Oh, they’re also extremely impulsive—sound familiar?

Polling position: While it would be nice to think that Trump has a 0 per cent chance of winning the 2024 presidential elections, lots of people thought that back in 2016, and look at how that went. Realistically, the former president’s polling place will massively depend on whether or not competitor Ron DeSantis is able to pull together a strong voting base. DeSantis of course is currently the primary candidate for Republicans, but it’s true that Trump is heading up second place currently.

Wildest thing they’ve said: It’s almost impossible to pick Trump’s most Boomer-esque or controversial quote. However, we tried. This quote is in regard to his proposed immigration policies during the 2016 presidential campaign election cycle: “They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

INDEPENDENTS

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Name: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Political party: Though he initially ran for the Democratic nomination, in October 2023, the candidate announced that he would run as an independent instead.

State they’re from: Washington

Notable policies: After starting his career as an assistant district attorney in New York City, RFK Jr. pretty quickly focused on environmental protection. But things took a turn for the worse when he became obsessed with advocating anti-vaccine misinformation and public health-related conspiracy theories. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Kennedy has emerged as a leading proponent of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation in the US.

Key campaign promises: On his campaign website, Kennedy lays out his six “priorities,” which include rebuilding public institutions, restoring civil liberties, reversing the country’s economic decline, ending foreign wars, healing political and racial divides, and cleaning up the environment. Don’t ask us how promoting anti-vaccine propaganda is going to help with any of these.

Star sign: Capricorn: the sign’s symbol is a sea goat. Take of that what you will.

Polling position: Doesn’t matter how famous his family is, RFK Jr. has simply said too many absurd things to be taken seriously in the elections. The only thing we really want to know is if JFK is still alive.

Wildest thing they’ve said: In January 2022, at a rally against vaccine mandates in Washington DC, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. likened vaccine policies in the US to the actions of a totalitarian state, even suggesting Anne Frank was in a better situation when she was hiding from the Nazis. His statement, which, frankly, barely made any sense, led his famous family to issue public statements denouncing his comments.

Cornel West

Name: Cornel West

Political party: Started running with the People’s Party, then moved on to the Green Party, only to switch again to run as an independent.

State they’re from: Oklahoma

Notable policies: West is a prominent American philosopher and socialist whose topics of study have previously focused on race, gender, and class struggle. West frequently uses non-traditional philosophical mediums such as TV and music to get his message across and has also written 20 books. He is a staunch leftist and has previously voiced support for Bernie Sanders.

Key campaign promises: Key campaign promises: West’s key campaign promises revolve around fighting to end mass poverty, instate universal health care, guarantee housing, education, and living wages for everyone and prioritise saving the planet through the Green New Deal. This climate change prioritisation package is a comprehensive plan to get to 100 per cent clean, renewable energy by 2030 through utilising a carbon tax, a jobs guarantee, free college, single-payer healthcare, and a focus on public programmes.

Star sign: Gemini. I don’t know about you, but I think West might be one of the only left-leaning politicians who is a Gemini. All of the others seem to be delulu gun-toting Republicans!

Polling position: As much as I’d like to think that West has a good shot of taking this thing, he’s an outsider third-party candidate, which means he doesn’t hold nearly as much voting power as say DeSantis or Biden. That being said, it’s a sure thing that West will snatch some gen Zers’ votes and could even potentially throw a spanner in the works for our incumbent.

Wildest thing they’ve said: Now, while this quote isn’t particularly ‘wild’, it is kind of iconic that there’s someone running for President who actually speaks some sense. During one of his most famous philosophical speeches, West declared: “None of us alone can save the nation or the world. But each of us can make a positive difference if we commit ourselves to do so.”

Jill Stein

Name: Jill Stein

Political party: Green Party

State they’re from: Illinois, however, all of Stein’s political career is linked to Massachusetts.

Notable policies: Stein’s political ideology and activism all stem from her work as a physician. As a medical professional, the Chicago native has been a strong proponent of the connection between people’s health and the quality of their local environment. While Stein has been a prominent activist for some time, she’s never reached political office, having been defeated on numerous occasions in her bid for governor and state representative. While she has had some local success, her sights have always been set on a much bigger stage. Stein has run for the presidential nomination twice before.

Key campaign promises: As a presidential candidate, Stein has focused her campaign promises on promoting an anti-war stance, wholly supporting the Green New Deal (a comprehensive plan to attempt to combat climate change and reverse unemployment and poverty) and pushing for universal healthcare. Stein has also been vocal about her would-be plans to address the humanitarian crisis in Palestine. While a number of Stein’s policies and campaign promises align with the Democrats, the politician left the Democratic party after she alleged that they “killed campaign finance reform” in her state.

Star sign: Stein is a Taurus. This particular sign is known for its stubbornness, a trait that clearly reflects why Stein refuses to give up on the idea that the US might one day be a three-party system.

Polling position: While people might be quick to underestimate Stein, it’s important to remember that the few votes she stole from Hilary Clinton back in 2016 potentially led to Donald Trump’s victory. Therefore, there is a chance that her small sway could do the same to the incumbent, Joe Biden.

Wildest thing they’ve said: In 2016, during her last presidential campaign, Stein declared that “we should not be subjecting kids’ brains” to Wi-Fi. This is more so wild because imagine trying to take a 12-year-old’s iPad away from them—scary stuff.