(NewsNation) — The next presidential election may not be until November of 2024, but candidates were already hitting the campaign trail in 2023, with President Joe Biden announcing his official bid for a second term and GOP hopefuls fighting former President Donald Trump for the Republican nomination.
Biden Goes for Second Term
Biden made it official in April, launching his reelection campaign. The move hasn’t come without criticism, as voters have expressed concerns over Biden’s age. After the Israel-Hamas war began in October, Biden has also faced backlash from Democratic voters concerned about his handling of the conflict and the toll of civilian casualties in Gaza.
Biden has faced challenges from Rep. Dean Phillips, D-MN, and author Marianne Williamson. Media personality Cenk Uygur also announced a run, but because he is a naturalized citizen, he does not meet the qualifications for president in the Constitution. Uygur plans to challenge that in court, believing he should qualify.
GOP Hopefuls
The field for the GOP began with a crowd, with hopefuls challenging former President Donald Trump for the Republican nomination. But it wasn’t long before candidates began suspending their campaigns, including big names like former Vice President Mike Pence and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.
By December 2023, the field of Trump challengers had narrowed to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, along with long-shot candidates former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and businessman Ryan Binkley.
Trump Leads the Way
Throughout the campaign, Trump continued to lead the field by a wide margin. That lead continued despite Trump’s mounting legal troubles as he became the first former president to face indictment on criminal charges.
With 2024 approaching, Trump is facing two federal criminal cases, one regarding classified documents kept at Mar-a-Lago and the other surrounding his involvement in the Jan. 6 riots. He’s also facing a state case in New York for falsifying business records and a RICO case in Georgia involving his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. All four court cases could begin in the midst of campaign season, creating complications for his run.
Third-Party Contenders
Robert F. Kennedy initially entered the field as a Democratic challenger to Biden, but later announced his intention to run as an independent candidate. He’s faced controversy for some of his views, including anti-vaccine comments. He’s joined by Green Party candidate Jill Stein, Libertarian Chase Oliver and independent Cornel West.
Road to the Primaries
The Republican field winnowed over the course of four debates, which Trump declined to attend, with DeSantis and Haley vying for second place as the candidates approached the final debate of the year, hosted by NewsNation. Christie vowed to stay in the race until the convention in summer regardless of performance.
After the holiday break, the candidates will head on to the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire primary, giving a clearer look at how voters feel about the race.
