The 2024 presidential campaign is taking shape, and the list of candidates continues to grow. Eight Republicans have launched their campaigns, and two Democrats in addition to President Biden have announced they will run in 2024.
Here are the candidates for the upcoming 2024 presidential election, including their background and some of their campaign positions.
Democrats
Joe Biden (incumbent)
Age: 80
Previous presidential campaigns: 1988, 2008 and 2020
Offices held: 46th President of the United States (2021-present); 47th Vice President (2009-2017); U.S. from Delaware (1973-2009)
Campaign Positions: “Finish the Job”
- Protect Social Security and Medicare.
- Veto a national abortion ban should it pass through Congress.
- Continue to provide aid to Ukraine.
- Pass a proposal for a billionaire minimum tax, make the “wealthiest and the biggest corporations begin to pay their fair share,” and ensure that anyone making under $400,000 a year won’t see a tax increase.
Robert F. Kennedy. Jr.
Age: 69
Previous presidential campaigns: 1988 and 2008
Offices held: None
Campaign Positions: “Heal the Divide”
- End mass surveillance of American citizens from Big Tech that “censors, de-platforms, shadowbans, and algorithmically suppresses any person or opinion.”
- Significantly decrease the level of chronic disease in children.
- Transition to zero-waste cycles and clean energy sources to reduce toxic waste and pesticides.
- Transform the police to use de-escalation and mediation skills to prevent violence.
Marianne Williamson
Age: 70
Previous presidential campaigns: 2020
Offices held: None
Campaign Positions: “A new beginning”, “Disrupt the system”
- Protect a woman’s right to choose.
- Address the “gun violence epidemic,” and “eliminate the sale of assault rifles and semi-automatic weapons.”
- Legalize cannabis and psychedelics for both recreational and medical purposes; expunge past convictions.
- Reach 1005 renewable energy and reduce CO2 emissions by 2035 or earlier.
Republicans
Donald Trump
Age: 76
Previous presidential campaigns: 2000, 2016 and 2020
Offices held: 45th President of the U.S. (2017-2021)
Campaign Positions: “Make America Great Again”
- Pardon a “large portion” of people convicted of federal offenses for their participation on Jan. 6
- Create the “most secure border” and “deliver a merit-based immigration system that protects American labor and promotes American values.”
- “Get something done” on abortion; has said a federal ban would need to include exception for rape, incest, and life of the mother. (source, source)
Ron DeSantis
Age: 44
Previous presidential campaigns: None
Offices held: Governor of Florida (2019- present), U.S. Representative from Florida’s 6th district (2013-2018)
Campaign Positions: “Our Great American Comeback”, “Never Back Down”
- Encourage Congress to make a nationwide school choice legislation.
- Supports six-week abortion ban that includes exceptions for rape and incest up to 15 weeks.
- Declare a national emergency calling for more resources to the southern border.
Larry Elder
Age: 71
Previous presidential campaigns: None
Offices held: None
Campaign positions: “We’ve Got a Country to Save”
- Secure the border by investing in physical barriers and Border Patrol resources.
- Combat China by “keeping the Pentagon focused on national defense; asserting American dominance in the South China Sea and minimizing our reliance on Chinese manufacturing.”
- Promote school choice.
Nikki Haley
Age: 51
Previous presidential campaigns: None
Offices held: U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (2017-2018); Governor of South Carolina (2011-2017)
Campaign Positions: “Stand for America”
- Find a “national consensus” on abortion; has declined to specify how many weeks into a pregnancy she would support a band; as governor of South Carolina, signed into law a ban at 20 weeks with no exceptions (source, source, source)
- Support term limits for members in Congress and “mandatory mental competency tests for politicians over 75 years old” (source, source)
- Hire more Border Patrol and ICE agents, mandate a national E-Verify program for business to prevent hiring immigrants who have entered the country illegally. (source)
Asa Hutchinson
Age: 72
Previous presidential campaigns: None
Offices held: Governor of Arkansas (2015-2023)
Campaign Positions: “For America’s Best”
- Reduce Federal civilian work by 10%
- Expand computer science education into “every grade school and high school” to help America better compete with China.
- Convene a commission to assure the future of Social Security and Medicare
- Sign a federal abortion ban that includes exceptions; has not specified how many weeks into a pregnancy he would support a ban: as governor, he signed into law a near-total ban with an exception only for the life of the mother while saying he still personally supported additional exceptions.
Mike Pence
Age: 63
Previous presidential campaigns: None
Offices held: 48th Vice President of the United States (2017-2021), Governor of Indiana (2013-2017)
Campaign Positions: Announced June 5
As former Vice President Mike Pence has just launched his candidacy, his current stances on policy have not officially been announced.
Vivek Ramaswamy
Age: 37
Current Occupation:
Previous presidential campaigns: None
Offices held: None
Campaign Positions: “A New American Dream”
- Increase voting age to 25. Voters under 25 can vote if they pass a civic test or meet a national service requirement (at least 6 months in the military or a first responder role.)
- “Shut down” the Department of Education, FBI, and IRS; “rebuild from scratch when required.”
- Incentivize trade schools.
- Use the military, including drones, to secure the southern border.
Tim Scott
Age: 57
Previous presidential campaign: None
Offices held: U.S. Senator of South Carolina (2013- present); U.S. Representative from South Carolina’s 1st district (2011-2013)
Campaign Positions: “Faith in America”
- Sign the “most conservative pro-life legislation”, but did not specify how many weeks.
- Fund construction of the border wall; Reinstate Title 42 to “combat the fentanyl crisis.”
- Demand transparency in school so “parents are informed as to what their children learn” and
- Boost domestic manufacturing and increase employment.
