Honestly, the 2024 race was a total fever dream. If you’d told someone in 2022 that the sitting president would drop out months before the finish line, or that a third-party candidate with a famous last name would endorse his former rival, they probably would’ve told you to stop watching so many political thrillers. But here we are. When people ask who are the candidates for the 2024 presidential election, they usually want a simple list. But the reality was way more chaotic than a spreadsheet. It was a high-stakes game of musical chairs that left the country with a head-to-head matchup nobody predicted at the start of the primary season.
The Big Two: Donald Trump and Kamala Harris
At the end of the day, the 2024 election was dominated by two figures who couldn't be more different. Donald Trump, the 45th president, made history by securing the Republican nomination for a third consecutive time. He didn't just win it; he steamrolled the competition in the primaries, making short work of challengers like Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley. By the time the Republican National Convention rolled around in Milwaukee, his hold on the party was absolute. He picked JD Vance, a senator from Ohio known for his Hillbilly Elegy memoir, as his running mate. Their platform was basically a concentrated version of "America First"—think massive tariffs, strict border enforcement, and a promise to "drill, baby, drill" for oil.
Then there’s the Democratic side. For the longest time, everyone assumed it was going to be Joe Biden. He had the delegates. He had the incumbency. But after a rough debate performance in June, the pressure from within his own party became a roar. On July 21, 2024, Biden did something almost unheard of: he stepped aside. He immediately threw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
Harris moved fast. Within days, she had locked up the support of the party’s heavy hitters. She chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz—a guy known for being a "midwestern dad" type—to balance the ticket. Her campaign was a whirlwind, focusing on reproductive rights, "joy," and trying to distance herself from the unpopular parts of the Biden administration's economic record. It was a massive pivot that completely changed the energy of the race.
👉 See also: Effingham County Jail Bookings 72 Hours: What Really Happened
The Third-Party Wildcards
You can't talk about who are the candidates for the 2024 presidential election without mentioning the people who tried to break the "two-party" ceiling. The biggest name was Robert F. Kennedy Jr. For a while, he was polling in the double digits, which is huge for an independent. He had this "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) vibe that appealed to people tired of the status quo. But his campaign struggled with ballot access and money. Eventually, in a move that shocked his own family, he suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump.
Then you had the usual suspects and a few new faces:
- Jill Stein: Running again for the Green Party. She focused heavily on the war in Gaza, attracting voters who felt the Democrats were too hawkish.
- Chase Oliver: The Libertarian nominee. He’s a younger guy, self-described as "armed and gay," who tried to pitch a version of government that just stays out of everyone's business entirely.
- Cornel West: A famous philosopher running as an independent. He didn't get a ton of traction, but he kept the focus on poverty and systemic racism.
Why This List Kept Changing
The 2024 ballot was a moving target. In many states, you didn't just see "Trump vs. Harris." You saw a laundry list of names like Claudia De la Cruz (Socialism and Liberation) or Randall Terry (Constitution Party). But getting on those ballots is a nightmare. Each state has its own weird rules. Some require tens of thousands of signatures; others just want a fee.
✨ Don't miss: Joseph Stalin Political Party: What Most People Get Wrong
This is why someone like Chase Oliver was a big deal—he actually managed to get on the ballot in almost every state. Most independent candidates only showed up in a handful of places. If you lived in Minnesota, your ballot looked way different than if you lived in Florida.
The Final Count and What It Means
When the dust settled on November 5, 2024, the "choice" narrowed down significantly in the minds of voters. Donald Trump won a decisive victory, crossing the 270 electoral vote threshold with 312 votes. He also did something he didn't do in 2016: he won the popular vote. Kamala Harris finished with 226 electoral votes.
The third-party candidates? They didn't play the "spoiler" role as much as some pundits feared, but they still pulled millions of votes combined. Jill Stein took about 0.6% of the national vote, and even the "withdrawn" RFK Jr. still got nearly half a percent from people who just couldn't let go.
🔗 Read more: Typhoon Tip and the Largest Hurricane on Record: Why Size Actually Matters
Actionable Insights for the Future:
- Check Ballot Access Early: If you're interested in third parties for 2028, start looking at ballot access laws now. They are the biggest hurdle for any non-major candidate.
- Watch the Primaries: 2024 showed that the "presumptive nominee" isn't a lock until the convention. Party rules allow for massive shifts if the candidate becomes a liability.
- Voter Registration Matters: The 2024 election had a huge turnout. Keeping your registration active is the only way to ensure you actually have a say when these lists of candidates finally get printed.
The 2024 election was a reminder that in American politics, the "official" list of candidates is just the starting point. Between legal battles, health scares, and last-minute dropouts, the person you think you're voting for in January might not even be on the ballot by November.