New Hampshire: How does the Republican Party pick its presidential nominee?
- International
- January 23, 2024
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A very quick guide to the Republican Primaries
Donald Trump is running again to be US president. It’s a long road to the White House and first he must win a race within his own Republican Party. The winner will probably face President Joe Biden in the 2024 election. Here’s what you need to know.
There are two main parties in US politics
The liberal Democrats are currently in the White House and the conservative Republicans are in opposition. Democrats tend to believe in bigger government support and spending while Republicans typically call for lower spending and stripping back the state.
Choosing a Republican Party nominee takes nearly two years
Trump has been a leading figure in the Republican Party since 2016, when he won the presidency. However, he lost to Democrat Biden in the 2020 election. For the next presidential run-off in 2024, Republicans need to pick a candidate – a process called the primaries. Biden is not expected to face a serious challenge from another Democrat.
Primaries are a series of state elections and then a national conference
Candidates begin putting themselves forward well over a year before the presidential election kicks off. Each state holds an election to vote on who they want as party nominee and the overall winner is officially crowned at the Republican National Convention (RNC) – a big political event in July 2024.
A state can pick its preferred candidate in two ways
Nearly all the states hold their primary elections in the same way – a secret ballot, like a general election. A small number of states have a caucus which is a head count or a show of hands. The states have different rules on who can vote – often only Republican Party members. Based on how many votes they win, the candidates get a certain number of delegates who represent them at the convention.
Voting starts with the Iowa caucus in January
The New Hampshire primary is next. After, elections take place in the remaining 47 states plus US territories. Super Tuesday in March is when lots of states hold elections on the same day. Usually it takes a couple of months to find out who the clear winner will be, but this year, we might know long before then – even though voting continues until June 2024.
Before voting, there are TV debates
Millions usually tune in to watch the presidential hopefuls discuss policy and trade insults. The first debates began in August 2023 with a large range of candidates, but so far, they’ve happened without the most popular candidate, Donald Trump. He refused to promise to back whoever wins the primaries and he said he doesn’t need to face his rivals on stage.
Trump is the favourite to win the Republican race but things could change
Trump remains the most popular candidate in Republican polls – despite facing criminal charges. He has been accused of illegally stashing secret documents, covering up payments to a porn star and attempting to overturn election results. He denies wrongdoing and says the charges are political. Even if he went to prison, he could still remain in the race for the White House.
In the New Hampshire primary, Trump will face Nikki Haley
The former US ambassador to the UN is the only person left challenging Trump after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis dropped out of the race and threw his support behind the Republican former president. DeSantis came second in the Iowa primary, well behind Trump but in front of Ms Haley. But, he quit just days later saying he did not “have a clear path to victory”. Ms Haley, a former South Carolina governor, has focused her campaign efforts on New Hampshire, making dozens of stops in diners, local shops and other small-town spots. She insists she is the only conservative candidate who can beat Biden.
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