Joe Biden 2024 presidential campaign
Joe Biden, the 46th and current president of the United States, announced his candidacy for re-election for a second and final term as president on April 25, 2023, with Vice President Kamala Harris as his running mate. If re-elected, he would be the oldest president inaugurated (on January 20, 2025), breaking his own (January 20, 2021) record,[7] and he would be the second two-term vice president to be elected president twice, after Richard Nixon in 1972.
Biden for President 2024
- Joe Biden
- 46th President of the United States
- (2021–present)
- Kamala Harris
- 49th Vice President of the United States
- (2021–present)
Announced: April 25, 2023
Presumptive nominee: March 12, 2024
-
- Julie Chávez Rodriguez (manager)
- Jen O'Malley Dillon[1]
- Mike Donilon (chief strategist)[1]
- Quentin Fulks (principal deputy campaign manager)
- Lisa Blunt Rochester (co-chair)
- Jim Clyburn (co-chair)
- Chris Coons (co-chair)
- Tammy Duckworth (co-chair)
- Jeffrey Katzenberg (co-chair)
- Gretchen Whitmer (co-chair)
- Cedric Richmond (co-chair)
- Nancy Pelosi (chair, national advisory board)
US$142,919,998.51[2] (February 29, 2024)
In May 2021, Biden's chief of staff Ron Klain indicated the Biden administration was "anticipating a bruising general election matchup" against Donald Trump, who had served as the 45th president of the United States and had been defeated by Biden in the 2020 presidential election, if the latter followed through on a bid to return to the presidency.[8] In November 2021, against a backdrop of declining approval ratings, the Biden White House reiterated Biden's intent to run for reelection.[9] In a March 2022 press conference, when asked about the possibility that Trump could be his opponent in 2024, Biden replied, "I'd be very fortunate if I had that same man running against me".[10]
Background
This is Biden's fourth presidential campaign, and his first as an incumbent.[11] His first campaign was in the 1988 Democratic Party presidential primaries. While he was initially considered one of the strongest candidates in that race, a scandal broke soon thereafter when news reports uncovered plagiarism by Biden in law school records and in speeches. This revelation led to his withdrawal from the race in September 1987.[12]
He made a second attempt during the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries. Like his first presidential bid, Biden failed to garner a sufficient level of endorsements and support. He withdrew from the race after his poor performance in the Iowa caucus on January 3, 2008. He was eventually chosen to be the running mate of the party's nominee Barack Obama. Following the Obama/Biden ticket's victory in the general election, Biden was sworn in as vice president of the United States on January 20, 2009. He ran again as Obama's running mate in 2012 and was re-elected vice president, being sworn in for second term on January 20, 2013, and serving until January 20, 2017.
Biden's third presidential bid came during the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries where he focused his plans as the candidate with the best chance of defeating then-president Donald Trump in the general election. Politico reported in 2018 that Biden had rejected a proposition to commit to serving only one term as president.[13]
In a PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll released on April 25, 2023 - the day Biden announced his reelection campaign - his approval rating was just 41%, with a disapproval rating of 50%.[14] Several polls both before and after Biden's campaign announcement have shown that most Democrats want the party to nominate someone other than Biden for president in the 2024 election.[15][16][17]
Campaign finances
Overall strategy
The Biden campaign has been reported to plan to raise and spend $2 billion. To get around the $6,600 per donor, per year limitation to Biden's reelection campaign, the Biden campaign's financial strategy has involved closely working with the Democratic National Committee and establishing joint fundraising committees with local state parties in all 50 states. As a result, individual donors can donate almost $1 million per year to be distributed to the DNC, local state parties, and the affiliated Biden Victory Fund. Biden's campaign previously gave the DNC its supporter and fundraising data after Inauguration Day in 2021. This approach has been noted to be different to former President Obama's use his own outside organization, Organizing for America, that ultimately competed for donors and left the DNC in debt.[109]
Finances throughout the 2024 campaign
In summer and fall 2023, The Associated Press reported that Democrats were nervous about Biden's lack of fundraising and campaign activity. Of note were the 2023 Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes in California that prevented Biden from raising money from Hollywood figures owing to his pro-union stance.[110] On January 15, 2024, Biden and the DNC reported taking in $97 million in the final three months of the year and after a December fundraising blitz, and announced that it took in $235 million from its launch in April 2023 and ended the year with $117 million cash on hand.[111]
In early 2024, Biden's presidential campaign was noted to have a considerable fundraising and cash advantage over Trump in part due to his opponents contributions being diverted to cover his many legal fees.[112]
The Biden campaign reported raising $42 million in January with $130 million cash on hand,[113] and raising $53 million in February ending the month with $155 million cash on hand.[114] According to February FEC filings, Biden-aligned super PACs had $64 million cash on hand and $900 million has been pledged by Democratic groups and major unions.[115] According to a March 28 Reuters article, large contributions made up 55% of Biden's support, compared to 65% of Trump's support.[116]
Democratic primaries
Biden was not on the ballot in the New Hampshire primary of January 23, but won the state in a write-in campaign with 63.8% of the vote. Biden had wanted South Carolina to be the first primary, and won that state on February 3 with 96% of the vote.[144] Biden received 89.3% of the vote in Nevada and 81.1% of the vote in Michigan, with "None of these Candidates" and "Uncommitted" coming in second, respectively. On Super Tuesday 2024, Biden won 15 of 16 contests, netting 80% or more of the primary vote in 13 of the 16 contests.[145][146] On March 12, with wins in Georgia, Mississippi and Washington, he reached the 1,968 delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination, becoming the presumptive nominee.