This year’s presidential election has captured the world’s political heartstrings and dominated headlines with the controversies and mudslinging no one could have ever predicted. With the election being played out like an offbeat mix of a House of Cards episode and a Spanish novela, it can be easy to get lost in the midst of media bias and petty social media slander. Hence, here’s your much-needed breakdown of what’s going on and what’s to come during the 2016 presidential election.
Dropouts:
Republicans: Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Carly Fiorina, Jim Gilmore, Lindsey Graham, Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindal, George Pataki, Rand Paul, Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, Scott Walker
Democrats: Lincoln Chafee, Lawrence Lessig, Martin O’Malley, Jim Webb
Primaries update:
Delegates won for Republicans:
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Donald Trump: 458
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Ted Cruz: 359
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Marco Rubio: 151
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John Kasich: 54
Delegates needed to win nomination: 1,237. Delegates available: 1,435
Delegates won for Democrats:
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Hillary Clinton: 1,221
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Bernie Sanders: 571
Delegates needed to win nomination: 2,383. Delegates available: 2,973
Results by State (via BallotPedia):
- Donald Trump (R): New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Hawaii, Michigan, Mississippi
- Ted Cruz (R): Iowa, Alaska, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Maine, Idaho
- Marco Rubio (R): Minnesota, Puerto Rico
- Hillary Clinton (D): Iowa, Nevada, South Carolina, Alabama, American Samoa, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi
- Bernie Sanders (D): New Hampshire, Colorado, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Vermont, Kansas, Nebraska, Maine, Michigan
About the primaries:
Here’s a breakdown of the difference between primaries and caucuses…
State governments provide the funding for primaries. According to The Washington Post, “Opting into the state-run primary, however, means opting into the state laws that govern the primary process. Most consequentially, this includes the date of the primary and who can participate in that election. A state party that prefers another date — perhaps an earlier and potentially more influential date — would have to hold a caucus on its own dime.”
State laws also establish rules and who can and can’t vote. A “closed” primary limits voting to those registered with a party, while an “open” primary allows unaffiliated voters. Primaries last from February to early June 2016.
For the Democratic Party, the national party mandates a proportional allocation of delegates per state. “The majority of states, in turn, utilize the results of their primaries or caucuses at both the statewide and congressional district level to allocate and bind those delegates to the candidates who clear a threshold of the vote — which can be set no higher than 15 percent — in those political units.” — The Washington Post
The Republican party has a similar “proportionality window.” The only difference is that it allows the threshold for receiving any delegates to be 20 percent in each state or congressional district. “The RNC also allows a state party to institute a threshold for a candidate to receive all of the at-large and bonus delegates.” — The Washington Post
Top headlines per candidate:
*Search was done from an incognito Google search
Republican:
1. Donald Trump
“Another Hitler? How world leaders see Donald Trump” –USA TODAY
“Ted Cruz’s challenge: uniting Republicans against Trump” –CNN
2. Ted Cruz
“Ted Cruz’s challenge: uniting Republicans against Trump” –CNN
“Carly Fiorina Endorses Ted Cruz” –NBC News
3. Marco Rubio
“Top Rubio supporters: Trump attacks have backfired” –CNN
“(VIDEO) BREAKING. Fox News Reports Marco Rubio Is To Drop Out”- RedState
4. John Kasich
“John Kasich Sees Three-Way Race Without Marco Rubio” – The New York Times
“Polls: Rubio crushed in Florida by Trump, while Kasich poses Ohio threat” –USA Today
Democratic:
1. Hillary Clinton
“Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders to square off after Michigan upset” –CNN
“Hillary Clinton’s Intersectional Politics” – The Atlantic
2. Bernie Sanders
“Why The Polls Missed Bernie Sanders’s Michigan Upset” –FiveThirtyEight
“Bernie Sanders: ‘Stay Tuned … We Can Win This Thing’” –NPR
What’s Next?
Here’s a breakdown of the upcoming primaries…
Important Dates
June 7– Last five primaries
July 18– The Republican convention begins in Cleveland, which should reveal the next republican presidential and vice-presidential candidates
July 25 – The Democratic convention takes place, rounding down the next president and vice-president nominees
Sep. 26 – The first of three presidential debates will take place in Wright State University in Ohio
Nov. 8 – Voting begins nationwide
Stay tuned and stay informed millennials, because with or without this political chaos, our futures rest with our nation’s next leader.
Photo Credit: www.cbsnews.com