President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump officially secured the delegates needed to secure their parties’ nominations for the presidential election, as reported by the Associated Press. This solidifies a rematch for the general election in November. Both candidates and their campaigns have long awaited this moment.
Biden encountered minimal opposition in the Democratic primary, which is customary for an incumbent president, while Trump had maintained a commanding lead in the Republican Party for months.
Their collision in November appeared increasingly probable after Trump secured a significant victory in Iowa in January. This win eliminated all but one of his major Republican contenders and positioned him well for his party’s nomination. Nikki Haley, his sole remaining primary challenger, suspended her campaign last week, further smoothing the path for Trump, despite facing significant legal challenges.
AP declared Biden the presumptive Democratic nominee following his projected victory in Georgia, while Trump earned the presumptive Republican nominee title after sweeping the GOP contests in Georgia, Mississippi, and Washington. Later, Trump secured the Republican caucuses in Hawaii. Biden required 1,968 delegates for the nomination, whereas Trump clinched the 1,215 delegates needed for the Republican nomination.
These results pave the way for a 2024 general election campaign, which, spanning nearly eight months, is poised to be one of the longest in modern American history. It marks the country’s first presidential rematch in 68 years since the 1956 election, where Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower defeated his Democratic opponent Adlai Stevenson for the second time.
Trump and Biden have shifted their attention away from the primaries. Biden expressed gratitude in a statement, acknowledging the trust Democratic voters placed in him “to lead our party – and our country” amid the heightened threat posed by Trump. In a social media video, Trump hailed Tuesday as a “great day of victory” but emphasized the immediate need to focus on defeating Biden in November.
Formal selection won’t occur until their respective party conventions this summer. However, Biden has already utilized the political and financial resources of the Democratic National Committee. Meanwhile, the Trump campaign recently assumed control of the Republican National Committee, initiating extensive layoffs as it restructures the party’s operations.
Trump’s swift lock on the Republican nomination underscores his enduring influence over the party and its conservative base, despite his defeat in 2020 and unsuccessful attempts to challenge it, as well as facing 91 felony charges across four criminal cases.
Biden encountered minimal opposition on his path to securing the nomination, consistently dominating each contest by significant margins. Notably, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a notable political figure and environmental lawyer, withdrew from the Democratic nominating race to run as an independent candidate.
The impressive performance of both candidates in their respective nominating contests may conceal vulnerabilities within their coalitions, which could present challenges for them in November, especially considering that the 2020 election was decided by narrow margins in a few key states.
Trump’s comparatively weaker support among suburban voters, moderates, and independents, as well as Biden facing scrutiny over his age and record despite improving economic indicators, underscore potential hurdles for both candidates.
