2020:
353: Julian Castro/Tammy Duckworth - 50.6%
185: Donald Trump/Mike Pence - 44.6%
Others - 4.8%
2024:
Castro is primaried by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, namely because the New Healthy Americans Act is not a single-payer system and has not eliminated out of pocket costs. AOC also blames Castro for working with Speaker Joaquin Castro to prevent AOC’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure agreement, for shifting funding towards NASA while auditing Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare - as well as the other top twenty expenditures(healthcare, food stamps, unemployment compensation, interest, military, foreign aid). Castro signs into law a partial Social Security reform*, a corporate tax reform**, income tax reform***, tripling NASA’s budget, and raises the minimum wage to $11. October 2024 unemployment rate is 5.8%, compared to 7.9% when Castro took office in January of 2021. GDP growth rate for last quarter is 2.8%, compared to -0.6% when Castro took office. AOC only wins Vermont, where Castro is denied ballot access, and almost wins Hawaii - the only other state that denied Castro ballot access. Castro gives the keynote speech to a rising star, Indiana Governor Pete Buttigieg.
In the Republican primaries, Haley wins four of the first five primaries: New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada, and Florida. Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, Tim Scott, Justin Amash, Governor Leslie Rutledge(Governor since 2022), Ann Coulter, Joni Ernst, Gov. Mia Love(Governor since 2020), Steve Bannon, and Charlie Baker ran against her. Baker dropped out after losing New Hampshire, and Haley essentially secured the nomination on March 21, after everyone else barring Coulter and Bannon dropped out. Haley nominated Senator Sandoval, elected in 2022, as her running mate, and convinced the Republicans to support gay marriage in the platform. Haley gave the RNC keynote speeches to co-speakers Charlie Baker and Mia Love, hoping to unite those to her left and right in the party.
Steve Bannon and Ann Coulter run a joint ticket against Haley, while AOC convinces Zephyr Teachout and David Zuckerman to run for the Green Party ticket.
*Raise payroll tax by .5%, Raise retirement age to 66 by 2029, and Reduce the COLA by .5%
**Corporate brackets: 10%, 17.5%, 25%, 32.5%, 39.5%, 27.5%
***Income brackets: 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 34.5%, 39.5%, 44.5%
