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WHO'S ON THE BALLOT?

Donald J. Trump (R)

Kamala Harris (D)

Print story by: Abby Miller

Donald Trump was born in New York, New York, on June 14, 1946. He holds the spot of the 45th president of the United States and has officially run for president four times (2000, 2016, 2020, and 2024).  He is running in the 2024 Presidential election as the Republican nominee. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Finance in 1968. Former President Trump is a real-estate developer and businessman who owns multiple hotels/resorts, golf courses, casinos, and residential properties around the globe. He also has put his name on many corporations and partnerships, which are now known as the “Trump Organization,” according to Bitannica.com.

Kamala Harris was born in Oakland, California, on October 20, 1964. She is currently the United States Vice President, and this is her first time running for the presidential spot. Vice President Harris is running in the 2024 election as the Democratic nominee. She graduated from Howard University in 1986, after graduation, Vice President Harris pursued a law degree from the University of California College of Law in 1989. Vice President Harris has worked as a deputy district attorney in Oakland, California, for eight years. Vice President Harris has also held the role of District Attorney in Oakland, California, where she was discovered by President Obama, according to Britannica.com.

Video by: Mya Taylor

Graphic by: Brianna Brown

Cornel West- Independent Presidential Candidate (I)

Dr. Cornel West was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 2, 1953. Cornel is currently an American philosopher and political activist. In 1970, at age 17, Cornel was accepted into Harvard University on a scholarship. Cornel proceeded to graduate from Harvard in just three years with a bachelor's degree in Middle Eastern Languages. Next became graduate school where he studied philosophy at Princeton. He has worked within colleges teaching students philosophy and religion, according to Britannica.com.

Jill Stein- Green Party Candidate (G)

Jill Stein was born in Chicago, Illinois on May 14, 1950. Stein began her schooling at Harvard University, graduating with a bachelor's degree in psychology, sociology, and anthropology. After graduating  from undergrad, she proceeded to begin medical school at Harvard, where she would later become an instructor for internal medicine. She worked in the medical field for around 25 years before beginning her political journey, according to Britanna.com. Stein has not yet chosen her running mate for this election. 

Chase Oliver- Libertarian Party Candidate (L)

Chase Oliver was born in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 16, 1985. This makes him the youngest running candidate of the 2024 election.  There is no history of Oliver’s education. In 2022, Oliver ran for the U.S Senate against Sen. Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker. Today, Oliver is an American political activist in Atlanta, GA accoirding to VoteChaseOliver.com

VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

JD Vance (R)

JD Vance was chosen by former President Donald Trump to be his running mate at the 2024 Republican National Convention. Sen. Vance is currently a republican senator of Ohio and has held that office since 2023. Before becoming senator, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served in the Iraq War. After returning home, Sen. Vance studied at Ohio State University (2006-2009). Sen. Vance later earned a law degree in 2013 from Yale. He worked for a law firm in California, according to Britannica.com

Tim Walz (D)

Tim Walz is Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 election. Vice President Harris appointed Gov. Walz as her Vice President on August 6, 2024. Gov. Walz is currently the Governor of Minnesota and has held the position since 2019. Gov. Walz’s early years began serving in the National Guard for over 23 years. He then moved on to teaching in China for a year, according to Britannica.com.  Shortly after, Gov. Walz began teaching and coaching high school students in Nebraska. Gov. Walz studied at Chardon State College (1986-1989). 

Melina Abdullah- Independent Vice Presidential Candidate (I)

Dr. Melina Abdullah was chosen by Dr. Cornel West to be his running mate on The Tavis Smiley Show on April 10, 2024. Abdullah was born in Oakland, California in 1952. She graduated with a Ph. D from the University of Southern California in political science. She is known for her work in the community, as well as being the first Muslim to run for Vice- presidency according to Cornelwest2024.com

Mike ter Maat- Libertarian Vice Presidential Candidate (L)

Mike ter Maat was selected to run as the Vice-Presidential Candidate for the Libertarian party by Presidential Candidate Chase Oliver.  Maat has prior experience in finance and economics as a commercial loan officer. Maat’s mission includes The Gold New Deal according to Miketermaat.com

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What the Background of Each Candidate Means for their Campaigns

Former President Trump and Vice President Harris come from very different educational backgrounds, from what we can tell. Former President Trump graduated college with a business degree and is deeply involved with economics and real estate, sparking his interest in politics. Meanwhile, Vice President Harris graduated from law school with a background in many areas of law that drove her to enter the political world. 

 

“It's important to remember from a historical perspective that we have had presidents from various backgrounds in the past. Said Dr. Jamie Scalera Elliott, Department Chair of Political Science and International Studies.

 

“We have seen this with Joe Biden, he is a career politician, so that fits with Vice President Harris, and yet we’ve had presidents who have had business backgrounds, so that is not unusual.”  We have had many presidents in the past that have come from both sides of these environments, and some, such as Ronald Regan, have even come from a background of performing. 

 

“I think that the American public must decide who is more experienced and qualified.” Said Political Science Professor Brett Curry. “Each side has experience in this sort of job.” 

History of the Candidate’s Political Careers

Each candidate has a history in the political atmosphere. Former President Trump served one term as President of the United States. During his time in office, he was able to get the unemployment rate down to 3.5%, according to Nationalarchives.gov. Trump was also able to build a wall over 400 miles long to secure the U.S. Vice President Harris has also stepped into the political world as Vice President of the United States for one term. While serving the role of Vice President, she partnered with President Joe Biden to get Americans vaccinated after the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Also, Vice President Harris, alongside President Biden, lowered the costs of prescription drugs through Medicare, according to Whitehouse.gov

Students Take on the Background of the Candidates

Many Students from the NAACP Club (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) gathered to watch the presidential debate on September 10, 2024. Some different emotions were seen around the room as the night went on. Some students felt hopeful and excited to hear about the policies that were discussed, and some felt uneasy and worried seeing the candidates arguing.

 

“I want someone who is going to make sure students are getting resources to make them successful.” Stated NAACP member Jalen Joseph. Each candidate has views for students, and they are eager to see how those will play out. 

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Spending on the Campaigns

Vice President Harris has been labeled as spending the most money compared to Trump in this election process. According to Bookings.edu, she is expected to have spent the most money leading up to election day. The total cost is expected to be around 230.8 million dollars. So far, the Harris campaign has spent 70.4 million dollars on Presidential campaign ad spending. Following right behind the Harris campaign is the Trump campaign. They are estimated to have spent around 150 million dollars throughout this election period. These funds are going towards campaigns, tours, and advertisements. The Trump campaign is estimated to have spent $109.6 million so far to go toward campaign ads. “We know from a global perspective that the United States and our candidates spend more money than candidates from any other countries on elections most countries have a much shorter campaign period because it does have an impact on the election.” Said Dr. Elliot. 

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Graph by: Brianna Brown

Following Social Media Through the Campaign 

 

    Social media has played a major role in the 2024 election. Younger generations specifically get their news straight from social media. We are now seeing both parties on apps such as Instagram and Facebook, as well as TikTok. These are ways each candidate is using to get the younger generations to get out and cast their votes. They also each have a different appeal when it comes to social media presence. As of October 18, 2024, Former President Donald Trump has held the spot for the most followers on social media throughout the presidential campaign race. He is sitting at 26.7 million followers on Instagram, and Vice President Harris is sitting at 18.6 million followers.  “We are going to have a new president regardless, so everything is going to be so critical.” Said Associate Professor Joshua Kennedy. 

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