Who are the contenders for the presidency of the United States?

Former Republican President Donald Trump is set to face Vice President Kamala Harris in the U.S. presidential election on November 5. As both candidates make their final appeals in crucial battleground states, the race is anticipated to be closely contested.

Here’s a look at the candidates:

Democratic Party

Kamala Harris

At 60, Harris won the Democratic nomination after President Biden withdrew from the race. This shift allows the Democrats to present a fresh vision in contrast to Trump’s agenda, aiming to engage young voters, people of color, and suburban women.

Harris, a former U.S. senator and California attorney general, made history as the first woman and person of color to serve as vice president when Biden selected her in 2020. If victorious, she would become the first woman to hold the presidency in the U.S.’s 248-year history.

Recent opinion polls show Harris narrowly leading Trump nationally, with 44% support compared to Trump’s 43%, as per a Reuters/Ipsos survey published on October 29. In key battleground states—Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina, Michigan, and Nevada—Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, are also in tight competition.

In the final stretch of the campaign, Harris has intensified efforts to frame Trump as a threat to democracy, particularly following his comments about "the enemy within" the country and his suggestions of deploying the military domestically. She agrees with Trump’s former chief of staff, John Kelly, who described him as a fascist, a label rejected by Trump and his supporters.

Harris’s platform emphasizes reproductive rights and personal freedoms, advocating for a national law to ensure access to safe abortion. Her economic proposals include tax cuts for most Americans, measures to prevent price gouging, affordable housing initiatives, and a new child tax credit. Additionally, she aims to boost domestic manufacturing, increase the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, and eliminate taxes on tips.

She has pledged to implement stricter immigration and fentanyl control measures at the U.S. border, aligning her climate policies closely with those of Biden, who prioritized combating climate change.

Harris is perceived as supportive of technology, even as she addresses competition and privacy issues, assuring donors of her commitment to capitalism.

On foreign policy, Harris is likely to follow Biden’s lead on critical matters involving Ukraine, China, and Iran. She has pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a ceasefire in Gaza while maintaining a firm stance against Hamas, advocating for its elimination and endorsing U.S. support for Israel.

Key labor organizations, including the Service Employees International Union, the United Auto Workers, and the American Federation of Teachers, have endorsed her, alongside numerous former military officials, corporate executives, and ex-Republican leaders.

Republican Party

Donald Trump

At 78, Trump secured the Republican nomination in July for his third consecutive presidential run after losing the 2020 election.

He continues to promote his unfounded claims that the Democrats stole the last election while facing unprecedented legal challenges, including a recent indictment related to efforts to overturn his defeat by Biden.

During his presidency from 2017 to 2021, Trump has framed his legal troubles as politically motivated, pledging "retribution" against those he perceives as enemies and adopting increasingly dystopian rhetoric. He made history as the first former president convicted of a crime in May in New York City and is the only president to have been impeached twice. Trump denies any wrongdoing.

Choosing U.S. Senator JD Vance of Ohio as his running mate, Trump has declined to commit to accepting the election results and has not ruled out the possibility of political violence. His false claims regarding voter fraud in battleground Pennsylvania have raised concerns about his potential to challenge election outcomes if he loses.

Trump has vowed to pardon those convicted for their roles in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot and has threatened to prosecute election officials, donors, and others if he wins.

He has stated he would not run again if he loses the election.

As the oldest presidential nominee in U.S. history, Trump would also become the nation’s second-oldest president. He has survived two assassination attempts, one during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania and another near his Florida golf course.

His allies have proposed the expansive "Project 2025" policy agenda, which seeks to undermine the Justice Department’s independence, among other initiatives. Trump has distanced himself from the project, despite his former aides’ and Vance’s involvement, and aims to replace federal civil service workers with loyalists.

On foreign policy, Trump has pledged to significantly alter the U.S. relationship with NATO and to find a resolution to the Ukraine conflict that may involve Ukraine conceding territory. He has insisted that Hamas must be "crushed" and has vowed to adopt a tougher stance on Iran, though he has provided limited details on his policies.

Immigration remains a focal point for Trump, who has promised mass deportations, including for legal Haitian immigrants currently under Temporary Protected Status in Ohio. He aims to eliminate birthright citizenship and expand travel bans on certain countries.

On abortion, Trump has praised the U.S. Supreme Court for overturning Roe v. Wade, advocating that abortion laws should be determined by individual states. He has expressed no intention to ban birth control.

Economically, Trump would impose sweeping tariffs on imported goods and specific companies and nations, eliminate taxes on tips and overtime, make emergency generators tax-deductible for states affected by disasters, lower corporate tax rates, and allow foreign companies access to federal lands. He has also promised to reverse much of Biden's climate change initiatives.

Some Republicans have criticized Trump for making personal attacks against Harris, focusing on her race and gender.

He appointed former Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to his transition team and suggested billionaire supporter Elon Musk could help improve government efficiency.

The National Fraternal Order of Police and several other law enforcement groups have endorsed Trump's candidacy.

Third-Party & Independent Candidates

Libertarian Party

Chase Oliver

The Libertarian Party ultimately chose Oliver, 39, as its nominee, despite initially inviting Trump to its convention. Oliver previously ran for a Georgia state Senate seat in 2022, receiving 2% of the vote.

Green Party

Jill Stein

Stein, 74, who ran as the Green Party candidate in 2016, is campaigning again in 2024. She has criticized Democrats for repeatedly failing to fulfill their promises to working people, youth, and the climate while asserting that Republicans do not make such commitments.

Independent

Cornel West

West, 71, a political activist, philosopher, and academic, is seeking to engage progressive, Democratic-leaning voters. Initially running as a Green Party candidate, he declared his independent status in October, stating that voters prioritize effective policies over party loyalty. He advocates for ending poverty and ensuring housing for all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paraphrasing text from "Reuters" all rights reserved by the original author.