Biden and Trump set for election rematch after securing party nominations
Both US President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump have surpassed the delegate thresholds required to secure their respective parties’ nominations for the upcoming November election.
On Tuesday, primaries were held in four states, one American territory, and among Democrats residing abroad.
As a result, American voters are set to witness a rematch of the 2020 presidential election in just eight months.
The official nominations will be confirmed at the party conventions scheduled for this summer.
Expressing gratitude, the 81-year-old president remarked on Tuesday evening that he felt “honored” by the support for his re-election bid, especially during a period he perceives as having an increased threat from Trump.
Highlighting positive economic indicators, he emphasized that while the US is undergoing a resurgence, it also faces challenges to its democratic future, along with opposition aiming to impose abortion restrictions and slash social programs.
In a statement released by his campaign, Mr. Biden expressed confidence that the American populace would opt to continue progressing into the future.
Benefitting from the advantage of incumbency, Mr. Biden encountered no significant contenders for the Democratic nomination, although concerns regarding his age persist among voters, with some questioning his ability to fulfill the responsibilities of the presidency. Nonetheless, the Democratic party apparatus has solidly supported him.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump, 77, remains very popular with the Republican voter base, which has propelled him to victory in primary after primary over well-funded rivals.
His campaign for a second term in the White House has zeroed in on stricter immigration laws, including a pledge to “seal the border” and implement “record-setting” deportations.
Mr Trump has also vowed to fight crime, boost domestic energy production, tax imports, end the war in Ukraine, and resume an “America first” approach to global affairs.
Tuesday night’s results do not come as a shock, as both men have dominated their races so far.
Both their re-nominations seemed all but predetermined, despite polling that indicates Americans are dissatisfied with the prospect of another showdown between Mr Biden and Mr Trump in November.
The US presidential primaries and caucuses are a state-by-state competition to secure the most party delegates.
The Democrats and the Republicans have slightly different rules for their primaries, but the process is essentially the same.
Each state is allocated a certain share of party delegates, which are awarded either as a whole to the winning candidate or proportionally, based on the results.
A Republican candidate must secure at least 1,215 of their party’s delegates during the primary season to win their presidential nomination, while a Democrat must secure 1,968.
On Tuesday, Republicans held primaries in Mississippi, Georgia, and Washington State, and a caucus in Hawaii.
Democrats, meanwhile, held primaries in the states of Georgia, Washington, and Mississippi, as well as in the Northern Mariana Islands and for Democrats living abroad.
Mr Biden and Mr Trump’s main competitors had dropped out before Tuesday’s primary contests, so the results had been all but certain.
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, Mr Trump’s last remaining rival, dropped out earlier this month after losing 14 states to Mr Trump on Super Tuesday.
Though several more states have yet to hold their primary contests, with Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden over the delegate threshold, the 2024 general election is now effectively underway.
The US presidential election will be held on 5 November 2024.
