2024 Democratic Party presidential primaries
Presidential primaries and caucuses are being organized by the Democratic Party to select the delegates to the 2024 Democratic National Convention, to determine the party's nominee for president in the 2024 United States presidential election. The elections will take place in most U.S. states, the District of Columbia, five U.S. territories, and Democrats Abroad, and will be held between January and June that year.[4] Incumbent President Joe Biden is running for re-election with Vice President Kamala Harris returning as his running mate.[5] On March 12, Biden secured enough delegates for re-nomination and was declared the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party.[6]
While Biden had repeatedly expressed his intent to run for re-election since 2021, there was speculation in the first two years of his presidency that he might not seek re-election due to his age and low approval ratings.[7][8] Former Democratic House representatives including Carolyn Maloney,[9] Joe Cunningham[10] and Tim Ryan[11] had publicly said Biden should not run. There had been speculation that Biden may face a primary challenge, especially from a member of the Democratic Party's progressive faction.[12][13]
After Democrats outperformed expectations in the 2022 midterm elections, many believed the chances that Biden would run for and win his party's nomination had increased.[14][15] On April 25, 2023, Biden announced via a video that he would be running for re-election.[16]
Eventually, three main primary opponents emerged; self-help author Marianne Williamson declared her candidacy in March 2023.[17] Anti-vaccine activist and environmental attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr.[18] declared in April,[19] while Representative Dean Phillips declared in October.[20] Additionally, in 2024, some Muslim Americans, Arab Americans, progressives, and socialists began advocating for a 'uncommitted' vote as protest vote against Biden due to his support of Israel during the Israel–Hamas war.[21][22][23]
Kennedy withdrew from the Democratic primaries in October 2023 to run as an independent candidate.[24] Williamson suspended her campaign following the Nevada primary in February 2024,[25] before unsuspending her campaign following the Michigan primary later that month.[26] On March 6, 2024, Phillips suspended his campaign and endorsed Joe Biden.[27]
Biden lost American Samoa to venture capitalist Jason Palmer,[d] becoming the first incumbent president to lose a contest while appearing on the ballot since Jimmy Carter in 1980.[28] However, he has won every other contest by a very large margin and maintains a significant lead in polls.[29] No incumbent president has lost renomination since 1884.[30][31]
Initial expected pledged delegate allocation
