Sixteen states and one territory will choose their presidential candidate in contests known as Super Tuesday, when more than a third of delegates will be assigned to determine the Republican presidential nominee. Past results and opinion polls suggest that, by Tuesday night, Donald Trump will have in effect wrapped up the Republican nomination against Nikki Haley, his sole remaining challenger, far before July’s Republican national convention in Milwaukee.
On the Democratic side, President Joe Biden has swept aside token challenges by Congressman Dean Phillips of Minnesota and the self-help author Marianne Williamson and is cruising to the nomination. The lopsided contests and lack of suspense are making Super Tuesday, one of the most celebrated rituals of the American election season, one of the least surprising.
Republican delegates
In the Republican primary, 874 of 2,429 total delegates will be up for grabs on Super Tuesday, and the winning candidate will ultimately need 1,215 delegates to capture the nomination.
Democratic delegates
In the Democratic contest, 1,421 delegates, representing roughly a third of all delegates, will be up for grabs on Super Tuesday, and Biden will need 1,968 delegates to officially win the nomination.
Republican results
Republicans running
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Donald Trump
The former US president’s campaign to retake the White House and once again grab his party’s nomination got off to a slow start that was widely mocked. But after decisive wins in Iowa and New Hampshire, his campaign has steadily moved into a position of dominance.
Trump declined to attend any of the Republican debates, has used his court appearances and many legal woes as a rallying cry to mobilize his base, and has run a surprisingly well-organized campaign. His extremist rhetoric, especially around his plans for a second term and the targeting of his political enemies, has sparked widespread fears over the threat to American democracy that his candidacy represents.
His political style during the campaign has not shifted from his previous runs in 2016 and 2020 and, if anything, has become more extreme. Many see this as a result of his political and legal fates becoming entwined, with a return to the Oval Office being seen as Trump’s best chance of nixing his legal problems.
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Nikki Haley
The former South Carolina governor and ex-US ambassador to the United Nations under Trump has mostly hewed a fine line between being an alternative to Trump, while not outraging his base with too much direct criticism.
That paid off to some extent as Haley shone in debates and rose past her competitors for the No 2 slot in the Republican race. But after losing by sizable margins in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, Haley’s chances have dwindled.
Ryan Binkley
Binkley, a Texas businessman, has now dropped out but is still on the ballot. Binkley was a long-shot candidate who is also a pastor at Create church. The self-proclaimed far-right fiscal conservative criticized both Democrats and Republicans for not being able to balance the federal budget, and said he would focus on health costs, immigration reform and a national volunteer movement.
Democratic results
Democrats running
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Joe Biden
Biden is the likely Democratic nominee for the 2024 presidential election. He announced his campaign for re-election on 25 April 2023, exactly four years after he announced his previous, successful presidential campaign. While approval for the president remains low, hovering just above 40%, political experts say he is the most likely candidate to defeat Trump. Biden has served in politics for more than five decades and is running on a platform that includes abortion rights, gun reform and healthcare. At 81, he is the oldest president in US history.
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Dean Phillips
Dean Phillips, a three-term Democratic congressman from Minnesota, is challenging Biden, saying the next generation should have the opportunity to lead the country. Phillips is the heir to a distilling company and once co-owned a gelato company. He entered public office spurred by fighting back against Trump.
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Marianne Williamson
Failed 2020 presidential candidate Marianne Williamson dropped out of the race last month before then resurrecting her long-shot campaign after the Michigan primary. Williamson, an author of self-help books, launched her bid with campaign promises to address climate change and student loan debt. She previously worked as “spiritual leader” of a Michigan Unity church.