A Guide to the US 2016 Presidential Election

With Super Tuesday passed, the 2016 American presidential race is picking up speed. Front runners are becoming clearer and less successful candidates are giving up and dropping out. For Democratic candidates, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are still running for their party nomination; for Republican candidates, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio are still running.

To those who have never lived in the United States (and to some who have), the chaos of the primaries can get confusing. So here is a basic guide to the current state of the 2016 election.

Primaries are individual elections in each state specifically to determine each party’s nomination for the general election. Multiple people from each party will run in the primaries, but only one will gain the official nomination and endorsement from his or her party. Super Tuesday is an especially important date because eleven states of varying socio-economic and cultural identities hold their primaries that day, and there is over 700 delegates choosing who to support. Delegates are elected or chosen people, usually local politicians, who will go to the National Convention for his or her political party to officially vote on who will receive the nomination. A candidate needs 51% of their parties’ delegates to receive the nomination. During primaries, delegates will pledge who they are going to vote for.

Historically, the candidate of each party who received the most votes on Super Tuesday goes on to receive their respective parties’ nomination. Many times also, the most successful candidate goes on to become president. On this year’s Super Tuesday, Hillary Clinton received the majority of the Democratic vote, and Donald Trump received the majority of the Republican vote. However, for Republicans, Ted Cruz received just below the amount of delegates that Trump received.

Meet the Current Candidates

Democrat

Hillary Clinton

Previous experience: United States Secretary of State (2009-2013); United States Senator (2001-2009); First Lady of the United States (1993-2001).

Key issues: Raising middle class incomes, establishing universal preschool, making college more affordable, and improving the Affordable Care Act.

Total amount of delegates received: 1052

Bernie Sanders

Previous experience: United States Senator (2007-present); Member of the US House of Representatives (1991-2007); Mayor of Burlington, Vermont (1981-1989).

Key issues: Raising the minimum wage, universal healthcare, reducing the burden of student debt, making public colleges and universities tuition-free, and expanding Social Security benefits by eliminating the cap on the payroll tax on all incomes above $250,000.

Total amount of delegates received: 427

Republican

Donald Trump

Previous experience: Chairman and President of The Trump Organization, Chairman of Trump Plaza Associates, LLC, Chairman of Trump Atlantic City Associates.

Key issues: healthcare reform, US-China trade reform, tax reform, immigration reform, second amendment rights, and Veterans’ Administration reform.

Total amount of delegates received: 319

Ted Cruz

Previous experience: United States Senator (2013-present); Solicitor General of Texas (2003-2008).

Key issues: free trade, does not agree with the current understanding of climate change, opposition to involvement in Syria, opposition to lifting sanctions from Cuba, opposed to higher minimum wage, abolish the IRS and create an American flat tax.

Total amount of delegates received: 226

Marco Rubio

Previous experience: United States Senator (2011-present); Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives (2006-2008); Member of the Florida House of Representatives (2000-2008).

Key issues: Balancing the federal budget while prioritizing defense spending, tough sanctions on Iran, repeal the Affordable Care Act, securing the country’s borders, does not agree with the current understanding of climate change.

Total amount of delegates received: 110

If you’re American and haven’t already, remember to register to vote in the general election, and if not also your state’s primary if it has not yet passed. For further information and to find like-minded people to talk politics with, check out St Andrews’ Democrats Abroad and Republicans Abroad societies.