After the election is before the election in the USA: The midterm elections are barely over when the presidential election campaign for 2024 begins in the new year. The Democratic incumbent Joe Biden wants to announce at some point in the beginning of the year whether he will run for a second term.
If not, who in the Democrats will do it? Officially, only former Republican President Donald Trump has thrown his hat in the ring. Several party colleagues are likely to go into the internal race against them.
An overview of potential presidential candidates on both sides, whose names are mentioned particularly often in the discussion:
With the Democrats
The incumbent – Joe Biden: The 80-year-old is the oldest president in US history. He has delivered quite a bit in the past two years in office, and his party did far better than expected in the midterm elections. But some Democrats want a younger candidate. Biden would be 82 to start a second term.
The Disenchanted – Kamala Harris: As the first woman and first black vice president, Harris was celebrated by many at the start. The expectations were immense. But the 58-year-old remained pale. In terms of content, at first it hardly appeared at all, then it was burdened with difficult tasks and made headlines with blunders.
The rising star – Pete Buttigieg: Three years ago, Buttigieg was still the mayor of a 100,000-inhabitant Indiana town and was completely unknown nationally. But in the 2020 presidential election campaign, he caused a sensation. Biden later made him Secretary of Transportation. The 40-year-old is the first openly gay minister in the federal cabinet.
The upper-left – Bernie Sanders: The 81-year-old senator from the state of Vermont has consistently represented ultra-left positions for decades and is particularly enthusiastic about younger people. He is considered the front man of the left wing of the party. Sanders has tried several times to become a presidential candidate – so far without success.
The down-to-earth – Amy Klobuchar: The senator from the state of Minnesota already ran as a presidential candidate in 2020, without success. The 62-year-old from the Midwest has a pragmatic, down-to-earth manner. She belongs to the moderate part of the party.
The Taffe – Gretchen Whitmer: The governor of Michigan defended her post in the midterm elections against Trump-backed candidate Tudor Dixon. Biden once considered the now 51-year-old as his vice. A planned kidnapping of Whitmer in 2020 caused a stir.
The dashing – Gavin Newsom: The governor of California (55) also confidently defended his office in the midterm elections. He rose to national prominence as mayor of San Francisco (2004-2011) for allowing lesbian and gay men to marry in violation of the state’s laws.
The Unwilling – Michelle Obama: The former First Lady is very popular in the United States. And everyone knows the 58-year-old. Polls give the wife of ex-President Barack Obama a few chances if she were to run herself. However, the best-selling author has made it clear several times that she has no interest in it.
With the Republicans
The ex-president – Donald Trump: After his party’s poor performance in the congressional elections, the 76-year-old is politically weakened. During his presidency (2017 to 2021) he gave the country chaotic years. Trump has not yet admitted his election defeat to Biden. Various investigations are currently plaguing him.
The Rival – Ron DeSantis: The Florida governor was confirmed in office in November with a very strong result. The 44-year-old is considered one of Trump’s strongest internal party competitors. He represents similarly hard conservative positions as Trump, but is considered less impulsive.
The renegade – Mike Pence: The former Vice President (63) appeared for years as a loyal companion of his boss Trump. The fact that Trump incited his supporters against his deputy on the day of the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, damaged the relationship between the two permanently.
The Opportunist – Mike Pompeo: Before he became Trump’s Secretary of State (58), he was one of his harsh critics. Trump will become an authoritarian president, Pompeo warned before Trump’s election victory in 2016. But then he turned into a slave to Trump’s disciples. Now he’s apparently making a U-turn again.
The Diplomat – Nikki Haley: During Trump’s tenure, she was Ambassador to the United Nations. She keeps all doors open: Haley (50) tries to distance herself from Trump far enough not to get caught up in his downward spiral – but without falling out of favor with him. The question is whether that opens the door to the White House.
The winner – Glenn Youngkin: Most, with the exception of Trump, believe that Youngkin (56) was elected governor of Virginia despite his support, not because of it. He was able to convince the Republican base without fraternizing with Trump. Now the ex-president has him on the Kieker – a sign that Trump takes him seriously.
The Moderate – Larry Hogan: Hogan (66) was Governor of Maryland for eight years, after two terms he had to resign. After the Republicans’ poor performance in the US midterm elections, Hogan did not shy away from criticizing Trump. He said Trump cost the party three elections.
Shadow Trump – Ted Cruz: The Senator from Texas makes no secret of his ambitions for the White House. In 2016, he competed in a fierce contest against Trump in the party’s internal primaries – and lost. As a result, the now 52-year-old developed into a Trump supporter.
The adversary – Liz Cheney: As the leading Republican on the investigative committee into the storming of the US Capitol in January 2021, the 56-year-old has become Trump’s archenemy. It cost her her seat in the US House of Representatives. Now she’s pondering how best to stop Trump in 2024.
