Who are the presidential candidates in 2024?

Election Day 2024 will be here in just two months, and a once-crowded presidential field has now narrowed to its final contestants. Here is a list of candidates on all sides of the aisle, though expect to see more names drop off as the race progresses.

Kamala Harris (D)

In what is perhaps one of the quickest rises to the nomination in U.S. history, Vice President Kamala Harris has gone from sitting in the vice presidential residence to being on the cusp of the White House in just over a month. Harris took up the mantle of the Democratic Party after President Joe Biden announced he was dropping out of the presidential race on July 21. "There are some people who think we should be a country of chaos, of fear, of hate. But us, we choose something different," Harris said in her campaign announcement video. In the first six weeks of her campaign, Harris "eclipsed the enthusiasm gap with the GOP and narrowed Trump's advantage on handling the economy and immigration," said USA Today. But almost every poll that has Harris in the lead also has her and Trump within the margin of error, meaning that a toss-up to the finish line is the most likely scenario come Election Day.

Donald Trump (R)

Months before his legal fortunes took a turn for the worse, former President Donald Trump stood before an adoring crowd at his Mar-a-Lago estate and made his third consecutive run for president official. "For millions of Americans, the past two years under Joe Biden have been a time of pain, hardship, anxiety, and despair," he told the room full of Republican aides and heavyweights. "In order to make America great and glorious again, I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States."

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On the same day Biden secured enough delegates for the Democratic nomination, the former president also secured the required delegates for the GOP nomination. Trump will carry the banner of the Republican Party into the general election on the back of 88 criminal indictments against him, and has since attempted to turn his attention to finding a suitable line of attack to use against Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Cornel West (I)

Philosopher, scholar and activist Cornel West raised the perennial debate over third-party spoilers when he announced a run for president alongside the People's Party, then the Green Party, and now as an independent. "People are hungry for change," West wrote on X when announcing his switch to run as an independent. "They want good policies over partisan politics. We need to break the grip of the duopoly and give power to the people."

However, his run as an independent means West is unlikely to travel very far in his presidential aspirations. He has recently been using the events of the Israel-Hamas war as a catalyst to draw in Muslim and Arab American voters, many of whom have become disillusioned with the Biden administration's response to the war.

Jill Stein (G)

The Green Party has rarely had luck at the national level, but they will try again with Jill Stein, who is the party's presidential nominee for the third time. Stein was previously nominated by the Green Party in 2012 and 2016. Her longshot candidacy has been met with different reactions on both sides of the aisle. Many Republicans are working to "prop up third-party candidates" who could "offer liberal voters an alternative that could siphon away support from Vice President Kamala Harris," said The Associated Press. Democrats, however, have mostly reacted to Stein's candidacy negatively; Stein is a "useful idiot for Russia. After parroting Kremlin talking points and being propped up by bad actors in 2016 she’s at it again," DNC spokesperson Matt Corridoni said in a statement to The Bulwark.

Chase Oliver (L)

Chase Oliver, a libertarian, announced his candidacy in April 2023, per Ballotpedia. Speaking at the Iowa State Fair, the 2022 U.S. Senate candidate out of Georgia described himself as "armed and gay," and urged a "cultural war ceasefire," per the Des Moines Register. "I don't care how you live, who you love, how you worship, how you express yourself, if you do it in peace, that's your business, not the government's," he said. Oliver is also pro-choice, supports the legalization of marijuana, and wants to see an increased focus on combating addiction and drug use in the U.S. Like Williamson, his odds of winning are so low that they are not displayed on Oddschecker.

Dropped out

Joe Biden (D), 46th president of the United States: dropped out of the race in July 2024 after a poor debate performance against Trump that led to questions over his mental acuity. This makes Biden the first sitting president since 1968 not to seek reelection.

Marianne Williamson (D), author and political activist: dropped out of the race in July 2024 for a second time; she previously dropped out in February 2024 but unsuspended her campaign weeks later.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I), environmental lawyer and activist: dropped out of the race in August 2024 and endorsed Donald Trump.

Will Hurd (R), former congressman from Texas: dropped out of the race in October 2023 and endorsed Nikki Haley.

Francis Suarez (R), mayor of Miami, Florida: dropped out of the race in August 2023 after promising to do so after failing to secure a spot in the first GOP debate.

Larry Elder (R), conservative political commentator and radio host: dropped out of the race in October 2023 and endorsed Donald Trump.

Perry Johnson (R), businessman and former gubernatorial candidate: dropped out of the race in October 2023 and endorsed Donald Trump.

Mike Pence (R), former vice president: dropped out of the race in October 2023, saying it was "not my time."

Tim Scott (R), South Carolina senator: dropped out of the race in November 2023 during a surprise announcement on Fox News.

Corey Stapleton (R), former Montana secretary of state: dropped out of the race in October 2023.

Doug Burgum (R), governor of North Dakota: dropped out of the race in December 2023 and endorsed Donald Trump.

Chris Christie (R), former New Jersey governor: dropped out of the race in January 2024 and said he would not "enable Donald Trump to ever be president of the United States again."

Asa Hutchinson (R), former Arkansas governor: dropped out of the race in January 2024 after getting less than 200 votes in the Iowa caucuses.

Vivek Ramaswamy (R), businessman and entrepreneur: dropped out of the race in January 2024 after a poor performance in the Iowa caucuses and endorsed Donald Trump.

Ron DeSantis (R), governor of Florida: dropped out of the race in January 2024 after a poor performance in the Iowa caucuses and endorsed Donald Trump.

Nikki Haley (R), former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador: dropped out of the race in March 2024 after a resounding defeat to Trump on Super Tuesday.

Ryan Binkley (R), pastor and entrepreneur from Texas: dropped out of the race in February 2024 and endorsed Donald Trump.