The 2024 Presidential Race: Biden and Trump’s Anticipated Rematch in the Democratic and Republican Primaries
More than a thousand days have passed since their historic 2020 general election face-off, and on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, both Joe Biden and Donald Trump are poised to secure their respective parties’ nominations. Four states – Georgia, Mississippi, Washington, and Americans living abroad in the Democratic Primaries and Abroad, as well as Hawaii Republicans – will be casting their ballots.
The Shorter Election Cycle: Following Super Tuesday’s Dominance (Revisited)
Last week, on March 1, Super Tuesday took place, with Biden and Trump leading the charge in a majority of states. The upcoming primary elections represent a shorter cycle, as the two candidates come closer to securing their parties’ nominations. The anticipated rematch between Biden and Trump is expected to reflect the previous campaign dynamics, with some notable differences.
Joe Biden: Running on Record and Concerns
As the projected winner of the Democratic primary in the Northern Mariana Islands, held earlier on Tuesday, Biden’s campaign strategy is similar to his 2020 approach. He appeals to voters’ concerns over Trump’s authoritarian behavior and the economy, despite facing intraparty anxieties regarding his age and progressive outrage about administration support for Israel in its ongoing conflict with Hamas.
Biden has also faced scrutiny over the special counsel Robert Hur report’s findings that he mishandled and disclosed classified information after leaving the Vice Presidency. Though no charges were filed, Hur testified on Capitol Hill on March 7, stating that there wasn’t enough evidence to charge Biden with a crime.
Donald Trump: A Prohibitive Favorite, Yet Competition Persists
On the Republican side, Trump is the clear front-runner, despite competition from a group of GOP candidates, including governors, senators, right-wing provocateurs, and his own former vice president, Mike Pence. The last to drop out was former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who left the Republican race after a series of Super Tuesday losses but did not endorse Trump. Similar to Biden, Trump must win over skeptical portions of his own base to maintain previous levels of support.
Georgia Primaries: A Preview of the November Clash
While there is little doubt about the outcomes, the primaries in Georgia provide both candidates with a vital opportunity for a gauge of public sentiment ahead of their anticipated November clash. In 2020, Biden won the state by less than 12,000 votes – the first Democratic presidential candidate to do so since Bill Clinton in 1992. The aftermath of his victory saw allegations of efforts by Trump and allies to subvert the election result, now part of a wide-ranging conspiracy indictment set for trial in Fulton County.
Both Biden and Trump spent their weekends in Georgia, where they held competing rallies about 60 miles apart on Saturday, March 4. The Peach State represents a critical battleground for the upcoming election.
In the buildup to these primary elections, both candidates have been campaigning intensely in key swing states, with Biden focusing on Pennsylvania, Georgia, and New Hampshire, while Trump is headed to Dayton, Ohio, for a rally supporting businessman Bernie Moreno in the GOP primary against Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown.
The 2024 presidential race continues to unfold, with these primaries offering valuable insights into each candidate’s momentum and public sentiment as they approach their anticipated showdown. Stay tuned for more updates on this evolving story.
