With the 2024 presidential election campaigns gearing up, Americans are bracing themselves for a stormy season full of promises for the future, attacks on fellow candidates, and even conspiracy theories. Many Americans know of the two main figures on their upcoming ballots: Donald J. Trump and Joseph R. Biden. However, biding their time in the background are fourteen other candidates waiting for the right moment to reveal themselves to the American public.

Running as a Democrat is a figure many are familiar with: President Joe Biden. Biden has faced a rocky three years in office, battling allegations against his son Hunter Biden as well as facing criticism against his acts as president. Hunter Biden has been indicted with making false claims on federal firearms forms as well as having illegal possession of a gun. While some find the issue of his familial relationships worrisome, manyAmericans fear that Biden has been in government too long, and may be in power too long after his prime. If Biden is re-elected, he will be eighty-six by the end of his second term. This is a huge issue for some Americans as many experts and citizens alike are expressing worry about whether Biden can make sound decisions as the Commander in Chief of a superpower such as the United States. In fact, in a poll conducted by The Atlantic, 74 percent of Americans were found to be concerned about Biden’s mental and physical health. Many say that Trump’s age should also be a factor in who voters elect. However, as NBC News reported, voters factor Biden’s age into their decision more than Trump’s since Trump has “moved with the times” and is much more “active in social media” than Biden. 

There is only one Democratic candidate running against Biden: self-help author Marianne Willaimson. The greatest shortcoming for Williamson’s campaign is the fact that she previously conducted a campaign for president that failed, leading her to drop out, claiming that she “could not afford a traditional campaign.” In addition to not having enough monetary support for her campaign, she does not have enough operational support. After firing her top two campaign workers in 2020, Williamson finds herself in a tough position with her former manager calling her leadership “abusive.” Despite these setbacks and allegations, American support for Williamson has proven to be better than expected, holding steady at 9 percent while over 60 percent are voting for Biden. Citizens and experts alike are sitting back and wondering what Williamson’s next move will be.

While there is a spotlight, albeit dim, on the Democratic race, most citizen and media attention is directed at the GOP, or the Republican Party race. Currently, there are twelve  Republicans running for the role of president, one of which is commanding the race: former President Donald Trump. Although he has not been present at the two GOP debates, he is all anyone talks about off the stage. Trump is hoping to be a man of firsts and seconds: first man to run for office after being criminally indicted, second man to run for office again after losing it. Despite his current controversies and run-ins with the law, polls done by MaristPolls indicate that 74 percent of Republicans and Independents leaning towards the Republican side feel favorably towards Trump, with 67 percent of Republicans wanting Trump to be president for another term. Additionally, 54 percent of “double haters,” or voters who do not like Trump or Biden, would vote for Trump if the election were held today. The biggest challenge Trump faces is that there are eleven other candidates running for his party’s nomination. Only time will tell if those candidates draw too many votes away from him to be re-nominated. 

Following Trump in the polls is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Despite attending both of the debates, DeSantis did not make comments on Trump as other candidates did. In fact, DeSantis masterfully avoided questions about Trump during the first GOP debate. Further, DeSantis avoided commenting on the former president, Donald Trump. Chuck Todd noted on NBC News, “DeSantis largely pulled his punches when he was asked to comment on Trump.” Moreover, during the GOP debate, experts anticipated DeSantis to be brutally attacked by his fellows, though he ended up walking out unscathed. DeSantis also argued that Americans should be focused on the next president’s inauguration on January 20th, 2025, rather than the past actions of the attack on the Capitol on January 6th of 2021. This serves as an example of DeSantis’ visions of moving the country forward by electing the next president rather than focusing on the past actions of a former one. DeSantis’ tactics seem to be working as 16 percent of Republicans indicated that they would vote for him. Compared to Trump’s 43 percent, this might seem like a small number, but compared to most other candidates it is a substantial percentage of voters. 

Third in the Republican polls is an unexpected contender: businessman and founder of the pharmaceutical company Roivant Sciences Vivek Ramaswamy. Ramaswamy appeared during the first Republican debate as a confident, experienced, mini-version of Donald Trump. He was the arguably the most talked-about figure after the debate, but he was also the most attacked. During the debate, Chris Christie, another Republican presidential candidate, criticized Ramaswamy, saying he was sick of someone who “sounded like Chat GPT.” Christie even went as far to compare Ramaswamy to former president Barack Obama, saying that he was afraid that Americans are “dealing with the same type of amateur.” In regards to Ramaswamy’s political work experience, former Vice President Mike Pence added that “it was not the time for on-the-job training.” In the end, however, Ramaswamy is beating both Pence and Christie in the polls, capturing the votes of 9 percent of Americans, which is 4-5 percent higher than the other two.

Even though there are many contenders for President of the United States, it is evident that the battle is between incumbent president Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump. It is a thrilling battle despite the huge effect it will have on the country as well as the world. Although we are a fair distance away from the elections, the votes are already evenly divided. In a poll done by MaristPolls, it was discovered that 49 percent of voters would choose Biden, and 47 percent would choose Trump, with another 4 percent undecided. The election could go either way. The issues that will decide the election are Trump’s criminal records and Biden’s age, both candidates stances on gun rights, abortion, the economy, and more. Both Trump and Biden have a chance to regain the presidency. Ultimately, it is the voice of the people that matter, not the noise the politicians make. So, all citizens are encouraged to inform themselves about the candidates on the ballot, no matter the party, and go to the polls. In an election as impactful and close as the coming one, every vote counts. 

Information received from The New York Times, The Atlantic, NBC News, The White House, Politico, The Time Magazine, CBS News, ABC News, PBS News, NBC News, Marist Polls, Morning Consult Pro, the Des Moines Register, Blaze Media, CNN News, and NPR.org.