After primaries in four states, one US territory and the votes of Democrats living abroad, both US President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have secured the number of delegates needed to secure their parties’ nominations for the November elections, on Tuesday, the 12th of March, reports the British broadcaster BBC.
President Biden, 81, said on Tuesday night that he was “honoured” that voters had backed his re-election “at a time when the threat posed by Trump is greater than ever”.
While stressing the positive economic trends and the country’s “comeback”, Biden underlined the challenges to its future as a democratic country and the potential threats from those who advocate restricting abortion and cutting social programmes.
Despite voters’ persistent concerns that his age limited his ability to act as President, party members supported him.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump, 77, remains popular with Republican voters. His campaign for a second term is focused on tougher immigration laws, closing the borders and a record number of deportations.
Trump promises to fight crime, increase production of domestic energy, tax foreign imports, resolve the Ukraine conflict and restore an “America First” approach to global affairs.
Tuesday night’s results are not shocking as both candidates have so far dominated their primaries.
The US presidential primaries are state-by-state contests to win party delegates. The Republicans need at least 1 215 delegates and the Democrats – 1 968.
On Tuesday, both parties held primaries in Mississippi, Georgia and Washington State. Republicans also held primaries in Hawaii, while Democrats held primaries in the Northern Mariana Islands and for Democrats living abroad.
Although primaries have not yet been held in several states, with Trump and Biden surpassing the delegate threshold, the 5th of November 2024 general elections have in fact begun.
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