Grace Uhrain // Contributing Writer
With the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary arriving Jan. 15 and Jan. 23, voters are beginning to contemplate their candidate choices for both the primary and general elections.
Running for the Democratic Party in 2024 is incumbent President Joe Biden, U.S. Representative Dean Phllips and 2020 presidential candidate and author, Marianne Williamson. The Democratic National Convention will take place Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.
“I feel like it’s going to end up coming down to Biden against Trump,” fifth-year Marika Chupp said.
Running for the Republican Party is Former President Donald Trump, Former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. The Republican National Convention will take place July 15-18 in Milwaukee.
“For the Republican candidate, I’m [predicting] Nikki Haley,” second-year Shivani Durvasula said. “I feel like a lot of content online is [about] her, whether that’s good or positive discourse. It’s getting her name out there a lot, which I think is really impactful in today’s digital landscape.”
In addition, there are several third party candidates running, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Cornel West and Jill Stein.
Here is a list of the presidential candidates as well as their main campaign issues:
Democratic:
Joe Biden:
As the incumbent candidate, Joe Biden is running to stay in office for a second term. Biden is advocating for stricter climate change and gun legislation, “Bidenomics” (bolstering the working and middle class), affordable healthcare, canceling student loan debt, supporting abortion access and defending American allies abroad. Biden is currently the frontrunner for the Democratic party, polling at 69.8% as of Jan. 11.
Dean Phillips:
Dean Phillips is only one of two notable challengers to Joe Biden, according to Ballotpedia data. Phillips’ campaign goals include increasing the affordability of housing, medical care, college education, child care and increasing the minimum wage. Phillips is polling at 3.5%.
Marianne Williamson:
Author Marianne Williamson is on the campaign trail again after running for president in 2020. Williamson is campaigning on a platform of creating “America 2.0”, focusing on campaign issues such as protecting animal welfare, acting on climate change, increasing economic opportunities in underserved communities, and creating a universal healthcare system. Williamson is polling at 6.1%.
Republican:
Donald Trump:
Former President Donald Trump is running for another term in office. Trump’s platform includes opposing climate change regulation, increasing policing, “America First” foreign policy, restricting immigration and increasing deportations. Trump is currently facing criminal charges related to the Jan. 6 insurrection and is facing legal challenges relating to staying on the ballot in several states, including Colorado. Trump is polling at 60.4% within the Republican Party.
Nikki Haley:
Nikki Haley has been gaining support among Republicans. Haley advocates for letting the people decide on abortion rights, decreasing crime, not enacting more gun restrictions but increasing mental health services, supporting Ukraine and Israel, increasing oil and gas drilling, and closing the border. Haley is polling at 11.7%.
Ron DeSantis:
Ron DeSantis is the second most popular Republican candidate, polling at 12.1%. DeSantis’ campaign platform includes fighting “wokeness” in K-12 education, supporting oil and gas industries, increasing drug-related sentences, decreasing government spending, taking troops out of Ukraine but supporting Israel, decreasing funding for COVID vaccines, building a wall along the US-Mexico border, ending citizenship by birthright and a 15-week abortion ban.
Vivek Ramaswamy:
Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy is also running to be on the presidential ballot. Ramaswamy’s campaign issues include increasing police funding, defunding the FBI, decreasing gun regulation, increasing military presence at the U.S.-Mexico border, strengthening foreign allies to defend against China, decreasing “wokeness” in education and increasing gas, oil and coal production. Ramaswamy is polling at 4.3%.
Asa Hutchinson:
Asa Hutchinson, Former Governor of Arkansas, is another candidate in the Republican primaries. Hutchinson’s positions include letting states decide on abortion, supporting Social Security and Medicare, supporting Ukraine and decreasing illegal immigration. Hutchinson is polling at 0.9%.
Third Party/Independent:
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.:
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is now running as an independent candidate after dropping out of the Democratic race. Kennedy’s platform includes cleaning up the environment, opposing vaccines and “Big Pharma,” demilitarization and changing the policing system. Kennedy has been criticized for spreading misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.
Cornel West:
Cornel West is running as an independent and hopes to add more choices to the party system. West’s campaign issues include increasing access to clean drinking water, nationalizing fossil fuel industries, decreasing incarceration by adding more alternatives, free pre-k and state and community colleges, increasing unions and four-day work weeks, ending military funding to Ukraine and Israel, free healthcare, pathways to legal immigration and protecting abortion rights.
Jill Stein:
Jill Stein is running for president under the Green Party and wants to provide more party choices for voters. Stein’s campaign stances include supporting the Green New Deal, increasing sustainable jobs, increasing police training, an economic bill of rights, Medicare-for-all, protecting abortion rights and creating more pathways for legal immigration.
The Iowa caucuses take place Jan. 15, the New Hampshire primary is on Jan. 23 and Super Tuesday is March 5 this year.
