Politics moves fast. One minute you're the "next big thing" in Florida, and the next, you're suspending a campaign before the snow even melts in New Hampshire. Looking back at the top 10 republican presidential candidates 2024, it’s easy to forget just how crowded that stage was.
Remember the first debate in Milwaukee?
Trump wasn't there. He skipped the whole thing. Instead, we saw a mix of governors, a former Vice President, and a biotech entrepreneur who seemed to have more energy than the rest of the stage combined. It was a wild ride that basically turned into a race for second place almost immediately.
The Heavy Hitters and the Surge
Naturally, Donald Trump occupied the center of the universe. He didn't just win; he dominated. By the time the dust settled, he had racked up over 17 million votes. That's roughly 76% of the total primary turnout. He basically treated the primary as a formality while focusing on the general election early on.
But there were others who really thought they had a shot.
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Nikki Haley was the last one standing against him. She stuck it out until March 2024, winning Vermont and D.C. along the way. People forget she actually snagged over 4 million votes. That’s not nothing. She appealed to the "never-Trump" crowd and suburban moderates who weren't quite ready to hop back on the MAGA train.
Then you had Ron DeSantis.
The media spent all of 2023 calling him the "Trump slayer." He had a massive war chest and a high-profile record in Florida. But the momentum just... stalled. He finished second in Iowa, which sounds okay until you realize he was 30 points behind the leader. He dropped out just days later, right before New Hampshire. It was a brutal wake-up call for a campaign that started with so much hype.
The Outsiders and the Traditionalists
Vivek Ramaswamy was the wildcard. Honestly, no one knew who he was in early 2023. By the fall, he was everywhere. He talked fast, challenged everyone on stage, and leaned hard into "anti-woke" rhetoric. Even though he only got about 0.4% of the final vote, he became a massive voice in the party and eventually a key surrogate for Trump.
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On the flip side, you had Mike Pence.
It’s kinda weird to think about a former VP struggling to get traction, but that’s what happened. He tried to run on a traditional, religious-conservative platform. It didn't land. He dropped out in October 2023, before a single vote was cast, citing a lack of financial runway.
Chris Christie played the role of the ultimate antagonist. He didn't care about winning as much as he cared about taking down Trump. He was the only one consistently landing punches during the debates. But his lane was narrow. When he dropped out in January, a "hot mic" caught him saying Haley was "going to get smoked," which was... well, pretty accurate in hindsight.
Other Key Figures in the Race
- Tim Scott: The Senator from South Carolina had a "joyful" message that people liked, but they didn't necessarily vote for. He exited in November 2023 and quickly became one of Trump's biggest fans.
- Asa Hutchinson: One of the few true "old school" Republicans left. He stayed in through Iowa but finished with less than 1% of the vote. He refused to endorse Trump, which made him an outlier in the final group.
- Doug Burgum: The North Dakota Governor tried to talk about energy and the economy. He had the money—he even offered $20 gift cards to donors just to get on the debate stage—but he couldn't get the name recognition.
- Ryan Binkley: You might not even remember this name. He was a pastor and businessman who actually outlasted several big names, staying in until late February. He poured millions of his own money into a long-shot bid.
Why the Order Mattered
The sequence of these departures shaped the whole 2024 cycle. When Tim Scott and Doug Burgum left early and backed Trump, it signaled to the donor class that the "alternative" lane was closing. By the time the top 10 republican presidential candidates 2024 were whittled down to just Trump and Haley, the institutional weight of the party had already shifted.
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Some analysts, like those at the Pew Research Center, noted that the primary was less about policy and more about loyalty to the former President's movement. While Haley won over college-educated voters in the suburbs, Trump's grip on the rural base was unbreakable.
Moving Forward: Actionable Insights for Voters
Politics isn't just about who wins; it's about the platform they leave behind. If you're looking to stay engaged with the current political landscape, here is what you can actually do:
Check your registration status. Even if you voted in 2024, states purge rolls frequently. Use official government portals to ensure you're active for local and mid-term cycles.
Follow the money. Use sites like OpenSecrets to see where former primary candidates are moving their remaining funds. Often, these "leadership PACs" fund the next generation of candidates you'll see in 2026 and 2028.
Understand the delegate process. The 2024 primary showed that winning the popular vote in a state is one thing, but the "Winner-Take-All" delegate rules are what actually seal the deal. Learning your state's specific rules can help you understand why some candidates stay in and others vanish.
The 2024 primary was a masterclass in political gravity. No matter how much money or media time someone had, the "MAGA" pull was simply too strong for the others to escape.