US PRESIDENT Joseph R. Biden, who took office in early 2021, faces little opposition in his bid for the Democratic Party nomination in the 2024 presidential election.
With former President Donald Trump the frontrunner in the Republican Party’s nominating race, Mr. Biden’s strong position in the Democratic primary sets up a likely repeat of the 2020 presidential election battle.
Here are the leading candidates running to be the Democratic nominee.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN
Mr. Biden, 81, already the oldest US president ever, will have to convince voters he has the stamina for another four years in office, amid poor approval ratings. Biden allies say he believes he is the only Democratic candidate who can defeat Mr. Trump.
In announcing his candidacy, Mr. Biden declared it was his job to defend American democracy, and referred to the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by Trump supporters. Vice President Kamala Harris is again his running mate.
The economy will factor in his reelection campaign. While the US escaped an anticipated recession and is growing faster than economists expected, inflation hit 40-year highs in 2022 and the cost of food and gas is weighing on voters.
Mr. Biden has led the response of Western governments to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, persuading allies to sanction Russia and support Kyiv, and he has been supportive of Israel in its conflict with Hamas militants in Gaza.
However, he has faced sharp criticism from some within his party for failing to back calls for a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory, where Gaza health officials say more than 25,000 people have been killed, thousands of buildings have been damaged or destroyed and residents have insufficient food, water and medical supplies.
At home, he has pushed through massive economic stimulus and infrastructure spending packages to boost US industrial output, although he has received little recognition from voters for the latter.
Mr. Biden’s handling of immigration policy has been criticized by Republicans and Democrats as migrant crossings at the US-Mexico border hit record highs during his administration.
MARIANNE WILLIAMSON
The best-selling author and self-help guru Marianne Williamson, 71, has launched her second, long-shot bid for the White House on a platform of “justice and love.”
She ran as a Democrat in the 2020 presidential primary but dropped out of the race before any votes had been cast. She launched her latest campaign on March 23 and will be on the ballot in the New Hampshire primary.
DEAN PHILLIPS
Dean Phillips, a little-known US congressman from Minnesota, announced in October he would mount a long-shot challenge to Mr. Biden because he does not believe the president can win another term.
The 55-year-old millionaire businessman and gelato company co-founder announced his bid in a one-minute video posted online, saying: “We’ve got some challenges… We’re going to repair this economy, and we are going to repair America.” — Reuters
