Presidential primary ballot: less competitors than voters may think

The Michigan 2024 Presidential Primary ballot was finalized in December 2023 and since then, there have been some changes. Michigan’s Presidential Primary ballot will have 10 names as those who will be up for election. However, on the GOP side of the ballot four of the Republicans already have dropped out of the race, and two of those have endorsed Donald Trump.

On the other hand, the Democratic side of the ballot will see three candidates, one who has withdrawn and the other trying to win against the incumbent president, Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Primary vote is crucial in selecting next president

Both primary elections and caucuses are an integral part of selecting the next president. They provide a critical opportunity for all voters to take control and influence the election process by selecting their top candidate to be the representative of a political party in the upcoming general election.

The sad news is that fewer voters tend to turn out for primary elections and caucuses, despite their impact on who can ultimately win the race for the White House. So, any increase in turnout can have a significant impact.

In Michigan, voters are not required to register to vote by political party. This means they will only be able to vote on either the Democratic or the Republican side of the ballot. Whether voting absentee, early voting, or casting your vote in person on Feb. 27, 2024, that vote will help decide the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees who will compete in the November 5 General Election.

As for independent candidates, they can separately collect voter signatures to qualify for the general election ballot in Michigan, and third parties will select their nominees during conventions that are held later in the year.

Democratic candidates

Joseph R. Biden Jr., Dean Phillips, and Marianne Williamson are on the ticket for the Democratic Party.

Joe Biden is the current President of the United States being elected in 2021, former vice president serving from 2009–2017, and formerly a senator from Delaware serving from 1973 to 2009. Biden has sought the presidency four times.

Dean Phillips is an American businessman and politician who has served as the U.S. Representative from Minnesota’s third congressional district since 2019. Phillips has both owned and started several companies in addition to serving as president and CEO of his family’s liquor business. Phillips is the last nationally known Democrat still running against Biden.

Marianne Williamson dropped out of the race in early February.

Republican candidates

Ryan L. Binkley, Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Asa Hutchinson, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Donald J. Trump are all on the ballot for the Republican Party.

Ryan L. Binkley is a businessman and a lead pastor of the ministry he founded with his wife called, Create Church. In 2005 he launched the company that would become Generational Group, where he currently serves as president and CEO, providing leadership for the strategic direction of the company and managing the Capital Services, Valuation, and Advisory teams as they work directly with Generational Equity clients through the transaction process.

Nikki Haley ran for the South Carolina State House against a 30-year incumbent Republican lawmaker in the primary and won in 2004. In 2010, Haley was elected as the 116th governor of South Carolina. She was the youngest governor in the country and the first minority female governor in America serving from 2011 to 2017. Governor Haley was nominated in 2016, by then-President Donald Trump, to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations from January 2017 to December 2018.

Donald J. Trump is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th President of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump was the only president who never reached a 50 percent approval rating in the Gallup poll dating back to 1938. However, his approval ratings showed a record-high partisan gap with 88% among Republicans and only 7% among Democrats showing their support.

Chris Christie dropped out of the race Wednesday, Jan. 10 saying, “It’s clear to me tonight that there isn’t a path for me to win the nomination,” Christie told voters at an evening event, “which is why I’m suspending my campaign for president of the United States.”

Vivek Ramaswamy told supporters gathered at a Des Moines hotel that Trump “will have my full endorsement for the presidency” when he dropped out after finishing a distant fourth in the Iowa caucus.

Asa Hutchinson’s exit from the race came a day after he finished sixth in the Iowa caucus. He stated, “Today, I am suspending my campaign for President and driving back to Arkansas. My message of being a principled Republican with experience and telling the truth about the current front-runner did not sell in Iowa.”

Ron DeSantis followed Christie’s dropping out on Sunday, Jan. 21 saying, “If there was anything I could do to produce a favorable outcome, more campaign stops, more interviews, I would do it, but I can’t ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources if we don’t have a clear path to victory. Accordingly, I am today suspending my campaign.”

The 2024 matchup also erases the idea that the incumbent will have an advantage as both Biden and Trump are seen as incumbents in this race, as many still remember what it is like under the presidencies of both men.