The announcement by the United States president Joe Biden about his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election solidified the political climate on Tuesday. The 80-year-old Democratic leader became the latest to confirm his election bid and joined the list of several other Democrat and Republican candidates, seeking a presidential term.
Here’s a list of so far declared and potential candidates:
Declared candidates:
Joe Biden
The incumbent US president officially announced Tuesday that he would re-run for the election race to secure a second term. The 80-year-old Democrat is the oldest sitting US president already. While announcing candidacy in a video message released earlier today, he said it was his job to defend American democracy.
Donald Trump
Joe Biden’s predecessor Trump is the frontrunner in the Republican race. The 76-year-old ex-president is currently under much scrutiny as he faces allegations of rape, defemation, hush-money scheme, having falsified business records among others and is entangled in a series of law suits. He made his presidential bid last November.
Nikki Haley
Haley, 51, is banking on her relative youth compared to Biden and Trump as she makes a case for her election run. The former US ambassador to the United Nations and the daughter of two Indian immigrants, Haley enjoys a reputation of being a solid conservative in the Republican Party. She has also presented herself as the defender of American interests abroad.
Asa Hutchinson
The 72-year-old Republican leader announced his presidential bid in April with a call for Trump to set aside given his legal troubles. The former Arkansas governor is popular among Republican voters for tax cuts and other initiatives but his recognition remains limited outside Arkansas.
Vivek Ramaswamy
Indian-origin Vivek Ramaswamy, who wants to dismantle the FBI and ban American companies doing business with China, announced in February that he was running for the Republican nomination. The 37-year-old conservative entrepreneur also believes the US is suffering from a “national identity crisis” which he wants to fix with his “anti-woke” movement but remains a longshot candidate.
Robert Kennedy Jr.
Son of US Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 during his own presidential bid, is hoping to challenge Biden for the Democratic nomination. One of US’ most prominent conspiracy theorists – Kennedy is banned from social media sites including Youtube and Instagram for spreading misinformation about vaccines and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Marianne Williamson
The democratic candidate launched her campaign in March and hopes to challenge Biden. This would be Williamson’s second chance at the race since the best-selling author and self-help guru had dropped out of the race before any votes had been cast.
Potential candidates:
Ron Desantis
Desantis currently serves as the governor of Florida and is likely to announce his candidacy for the presidential election. The 44 year old Republican ranks second to Trump in majority of the surveys and has come forward as a solid conservative by signing bills including loosening gun law and fresh restrictions on abortion.
Tim Scott
Scott is the only Black Republican U.S. senator and styled himself as rather optimist compared to Trump and Desantis. The 57-year-old has shown focus on unifying his divided party which his supporters see as his selling point but acknowledge that it may not be enough for the big win. He is yet to announce his election bid.
