Honestly, the 2024 election was a fever dream. If you feel like you blinked and the entire lineup changed three times, you're not alone. It wasn't just a two-person race, though the media sure made it feel that way toward the end. We saw everything from a sitting president dropping out mid-summer to a third-party candidate with a famous last name keeping everyone on their toes for months.
Basically, the list of president candidates 2024 was a lot more crowded than the final ballot in your local booth probably looked. Everyone remembers the big showdown, but the path to get there was messy. It involved a massive field of Republicans, a sudden Democratic swap, and a handful of outsiders who actually managed to pull decent numbers in the popular vote.
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The Republican Gauntlet: Trump and the Rest
It started with a crowded stage. Remember the debates? Donald Trump didn't even show up to them, which was a bold move that clearly paid off. He was facing off against people like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who many thought was the heir apparent, and Nikki Haley, who stuck it out longer than almost anyone else.
- Donald Trump: The eventual winner. He ran on a platform of "finishing what he started," focusing heavily on the economy and immigration.
- Nikki Haley: She was the last one standing against Trump in the primaries. She appealed to the more moderate or "old school" wing of the GOP.
- Ron DeSantis: His campaign had a ton of hype early on but struggled to find a lane that wasn't already occupied by Trump.
- Vivek Ramaswamy: The tech entrepreneur who brought a lot of energy to the early debates before endorsing Trump.
The Democratic Switch: Biden to Harris
This was the plot twist nobody—or maybe everybody—saw coming. For most of the year, Joe Biden was the guy. He cruised through the early primaries because, well, that’s what sitting presidents do. Then came that June debate.
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Everything changed in a matter of weeks. Biden stepped aside, endorsed his Vice President, and Kamala Harris took over the ticket with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. It was a historic move. She had to consolidate the entire party's support in record time without a traditional primary. She focused her message on "freedom" and the middle class, trying to distance herself from some of the administration's less popular economic stats while leaning into their wins.
The Outsiders: Third Parties and Independents
You've probably heard people complain about the "two-party system," and in 2024, the third-party candidates actually had some name recognition. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was the big one. He started as a Democrat, went Independent, and then eventually suspended his campaign to back Trump. It was a wild arc.
But he wasn't the only one.
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Jill Stein ran again for the Green Party. Chase Oliver was the Libertarian pick, representing a younger, more "live and let live" vibe. Even Cornel West was out there running a campaign focused on radical justice. While none of them got an electoral vote, they were a huge part of the conversation, especially when people felt frustrated with the main two choices.
What Really Happened with the Results?
In the end, it was Donald Trump who secured the 312 electoral votes needed to return to the White House. He did something that hasn't happened for a Republican in twenty years: he won the popular vote. Kamala Harris ended with 226 electoral votes.
The "swing states" were the whole story. Trump swept places like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin—the so-called Blue Wall—which basically sealed the deal.
Next Steps for You:
If you want to see exactly how your specific county voted compared to the rest of the country, you should check out the official FEC election results. It’s also a good idea to look at the turnout data. 2024 saw a lot of shifts in how different demographic groups voted, and seeing the raw numbers helps cut through the "pundit" talk you see on TV.