US Presidential campaign 2016
The US presidential election is one of the longest in the world. The entire process spans more than a year and a half. This year, the US Presidential elections will be held on November 8, 2016. However, the process actually began in early 2015 when candidates started announcing their candidacy for Presidential nominations. Since August, the Presidential and Democratic debates were held followed by primaries and caucuses. In July the Republican and Democratic Conventions will be held. The weeks before the November 8 elections will see a debate between the two final contenders for the Presidential post.
Announcement of start of campaigns
Democratic Party
On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was the first to announce that she would be running for the 2016 Democratic nominations. She made her announcement via a video message on April 12, 2015. Following her, Bernie Sanders, Martin O’Malley, Lincoln Chafee, former Virginia Senator Jim Webb and Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig also entered the race. Following their announcements, the candidates embarked upon their election campaigns.
Three candidates, Jim Webb, Lawrence Lessig, and Lincoln Chafee withdrew from the race prior to the start of the primaries and caucuses.
Republican Party
The Republican Party witnessed a total of 17 candidates announcing their intention to run for the President of the United States. On March 23, 2015, Ted Cruz formally announced that he would be entering the race. The other candidates who followed Ted Cruz in the subsequent days and months included:
On April 7, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky declared his candidacy followed by US Senator Marco Rubio, of Florida on April 13.
In the month of May 2015 businesswoman Carly Fiorina of California, Neurosurgeon Ben Carson, of Maryland, former Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, and former Governor George Pataki of New York announced that they would be running for president.
In June 2015, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, former Governor Rick Perry of Texas, former Governor of Florida Jeb Bush, businessman Donald Trump, Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal, and Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie announced their entry into the race.
In July, Governor of Wisconsin Scott Walker, Governor of Ohio John Kasich, and former Governor of Virginia Jim Gilmore announced their candidacy for Republican nominations.
George Pataki, Lindsey Graham, Bobby Jindal, Scot Walker, and Rick Perry withdrew from the presidential race before the start of the caucuses and primaries on February 1.
Debates
From August 2015 to April 2016 a number of Democratic and Republican debates were held in all over the country. Candidates from their respective parties sparred on a number of issues ranging from the economy, foreign policy and gun laws to immigration and healthcare. In all, the Democratic Party held nine debates. The first Democratic debate was held on October 13, 2015, in Nevada. The ninth and final debate was held on April 14, 2016, in Brooklyn, New York. Twelve Republican debates were held. The first debate was held on August 6, 2015, in Cleveland, Ohio, while the 12th and final debate was held on March 10, 2016, in Florida.
Primaries and caucuses
Democratic
The first Democratic caucus was held on February 1 in Iowa where Hillary Clinton defeated Bernie Sanders by a narrow margin. Following a poor performance in the Iowa caucuses, Martin O’Malley withdrew from the presidential race. Overall, Hillary Clinton won in 34 states and had a total delegate count of 2,811 much more than the required number to win the Democratic nomination. Bernie Sanders won in 23 states with a delegate count of 1,879. The end of the primaries on June 14 saw Hillary Clinton emerging the presumptive nominee.
Republican
In the February 1 Iowa caucuses, Ted Cruz defeated Donald Trump. Thereafter, Donald Trump picked up steam in the emerging victorious in most of the primaries and caucuses. In February, Mike Huckabee, Rand Paul, Rick Santorum, Carly Fiorina, Chris Christie, Jim Gilmore, and Jeb Bush suspended their campaigns. Ben Carson suspended his campaign on March 2, while Marco Rubio exited from the race following a loss to Donald Trump in the Florida primaries on March 15. Ted Cruz and John Kasich suspended their campaigns on May 3 and May, 2016, respectively paving the way for Donald Trump in becoming the presumptive nominee. Donald Trump won 36 states and bagged 1,542 delegates.
The month of July will witness the party conventions which would be followed by the presidential debates. Finally on March 8, 2016, voters will elect presidential electors who, in turn, would elect the president and vice president of the country.
Campaign Funds
Elections campaigns are a costly affair and candidates or political parties rely on funding to fight launch their campaigns. As per the public funding of presidential elections, qualified presidential candidates get access to federal government funds so that they can pay for the valid expenses of their political campaigns in the primary as well as general elections.
Now just two candidates are left in the race – Republican Donald Trump and Democratic Hillary Clinton. Reports show that in campaign funds Hillary Clinton has an advantage over rival Donald Trump. Clinton’s campaign began June with some $42 million in the bank, while Trump had just $1.3 million. Hillary Clinton’s election team has around 700 people while less than a 100 comprise Trump’s team.