From January 23 to June 8, 2024, presidential primaries and caucuses were organized by the Democratic Party to select delegates to determine the party's nominee for president in the 2024 United States presidential election. The elections took place in all U.S. states except Florida and Delaware, in the District of Columbia, in five U.S. territories, and as organized by Democrats Abroad.
On April 25, 2023, incumbent President Joe Biden announced that he would seek re-election in 2024. Eventually, three main primary opponents emerged: self-help author Marianne Williamson, who declared her candidacy in March 2023; anti-vaccine activist and environmental attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who launched his candidacy in April 2023;Multiple sources:
and U.S. Representative Dean Phillips of Minnesota, who announced his candidacy in October 2023. Phillips argued that Biden would be a weak general election candidate due to his age and his low approval ratings. Additionally, the Uncommitted National Movement, supported by some Muslim Americans, Arab Americans, progressives, and socialists began advocating in 2024 for an "uncommitted" vote in protest against Biden due to his support for Israel during the Gaza war.
Kennedy withdrew from the Democratic primaries in October 2023 to run as an independent candidate. On March 6, 2024, Phillips suspended his campaign and endorsed Biden. After stopping and restarting her campaign, Williamson ended her campaign for the final time on July 29, 2024. Phillips received the second-highest number of delegates in the primaries of any candidate (four delegates gained).
Biden became the presumptive presidential nominee of the Democratic Party on March 12, 2024 by securing over 1,968 pledged delegates. Ultimately, Biden withdrew from the race on July 21 after losing the support of many Democrats because of age and health concerns following a debate with Donald Trump. He immediately endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the party's presidential nominee. By the next day, Harris had secured the non-binding support of enough uncommitted delegates that were previously pledged to Biden to make her the party's presumptive nominee. Harris officially became the party's presidential nominee following a virtual roll call with the support of approximately 97.21% of all the delegates. Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, would go on to lose the election to the Republican ticket of Donald Trump and JD Vance.
Candidates
As of April 2024, more than 190 candidates have filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2024.
Following the withdrawal of President Biden on July 21, 2024, the race became an open contest to be decided at the Democratic National Convention.
Nominee
Declined after the primaries
Withdrew after the primaries
Withdrew during the primaries
Other candidates
Bob Ely, entrepreneur and former investment banker
Withdrew before the primaries
Other candidates
Candidate timetable
Active campaign Exploratory committeeDemocratic National Convention Withdrawn candidate Primaries
Primaries and caucus calendar
+Caucuses and primaries in the 2024 Democratic Party presidential primariesDateTotaldelegatesPrimaries/caucusesJanuary 230New Hampshire primaryFebruary 355South Carolina primaryFebruary 636Nevada primaryFebruary 27117Michigan primaryMarch 5(Super Tuesday)142052Alabama primary6American Samoa caucuses31Arkansas primary424California primary72Colorado primary40Iowa caucuses24Maine primary92Massachusetts primary75Minnesota primary116North Carolina primary36Oklahoma primary63Tennessee primary244Texas primary30Utah primary16Vermont primary99Virginia primaryMarch 622Hawaii caucusesMarch 1225413Democrats Abroad primary108Georgia primary35Mississippi primary6Northern Marianas caucuses92Washington primaryMarch 1937972Arizona primary147Illinois primary33Kansas primary127Ohio primaryMarch 2311248Louisiana primary64Missouri primaryMarch 3013North Dakota primaryApril 243660Connecticut primary268New York primary26Rhode Island primary82Wisconsin primaryApril 132815Alaska caucuses13Wyoming caucusesApril 23159Pennsylvania primaryApril 2725New Hampshire primaryApril 2855Puerto Rico primaryMay 779Indiana primaryMay 1414495Maryland primary29Nebraska primary20West Virginia primaryMay 2111953Kentucky primary66Oregon primaryMay 2323Idaho caucusesJune 421620Washington D.C. primary20Montana primary126New Jersey primary34New Mexico primary16South Dakota primaryJune 8147Guam caucuses7Virgin Islands caucuses Canceled: Florida (224 delegates), Delaware (19 delegates)
Ballot access
Timeline
2023 February 2023 On February 4, the Democratic National Committee approves a new primary calendar, moving South Carolina to February 3, followed by Nevada and New Hampshire on February 6, Georgia on February 13, and Michigan on February 27. Iowa, which traditionally goes first, would then be held later in the primary season. The DNC gives Georgia and New Hampshire an extended deadline of June to modify their state laws so they can comply with the new dates (New Hampshire state law mandates them to hold the first primary in the country, while Georgia state law requires them to hold both the Democratic and Republican primaries on the same day), but this remains unlikely to happen since both states have Republican-controlled state legislatures.
March 2023 On March 3, the DNC declares their full support for President Biden's re-election, stating they do not plan to host any official debates.
On March 4, author Marianne Williamson announces her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination as the first major primary challenger to incumbent President Biden.
April 2023 On April 6, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. files to challenge Biden in the 2024 Democratic primary.
The same day, the Idaho Legislature passes House Bill 138, moving the state's presidential primary date to May while also eliminating the original primary date in March.
On April 11, the Democratic Party announces that its convention will be held in Chicago, Illinois.
On April 19, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., environmental lawyer and son of Robert F. Kennedy, formally announces his presidential campaign in a launch event in Boston.
On April 25, incumbent Democratic President Joe Biden announces his bid for re-election in 2024.
June 2023 On June 4, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Instagram account is reinstated after it was suspended in February 2021 for sharing misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine.
On June 11, a Suffolk University poll finds that 8 in 10 Democratic voters would like to see Biden debate other Democratic primary candidates.
On June 15, in an interview on The Joe Rogan Experience, Kennedy raises the belief that he could be assassinated by the Central Intelligence Agency.
On June 17, President Joe Biden begins his campaign at a rally in Philadelphia.
September 2023 On September 12, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy announces an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, alleging that he benefited from business dealings with his son Hunter.
On September 14, Hunter Biden is indicted on three firearm-related charges returned by a federal grand jury in Wilmington, Delaware.
On September 16, an armed man impersonating a U.S. Marshal is arrested at a Robert Kennedy Jr. campaign event in Los Angeles.
October 2023 On October 6, the DNC reaches a compromise with the Iowa Democratic Party, allowing the Iowa Democratic caucuses to be held first on January 15, 2024, but voting on presidential candidates would also be done via mail-in ballots until Super Tuesday, March 5, 2024.
On October 9, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. withdraws from the Democratic primaries and launches an independent campaign.
On October 12, progressive commentator Cenk Uygur announces his presidential campaign. Despite his announcement, Uygur is ineligible to serve as president due to being born in Turkey to non U.S. citizens.
On October 16, the Biden campaign launches an account on Truth Social.
On October 24, with New Hampshire state officials moving forward in accordance with their state law mandating them to hold the first primary in the country, denying the DNC's request to hold it after South Carolina's, Biden campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodriguez states that he will not appear on the New Hampshire primary ballot.
On October 26, a man attempts to trespass on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s residence in Brentwood, Los Angeles, and is arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department.
The same day, U.S. Representative Dean Phillips files paperwork to run against President Biden for the Democratic nomination.
On October 27, Dean Phillips launches his presidential campaign in Concord, New Hampshire.
November 2023 On November 13, The Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences at Dartmouth College and the Dartmouth Political Union co-host a discussion as part of their "Path to the Presidency" speaker series with Dean Phillips to discuss his campaign and policy positions.
On November 15, the New Hampshire presidential primary date is set for January 23, 2024, defying the DNC's planned schedule.
On November 18, Dean Phillips discusses the case for his campaign at the 2023 Blue Jamboree rally hosted by the Charleston County Democratic Party in South Carolina.
On November 30, the Florida Democratic Party only submits Biden as a candidate to the Secretary of State of Florida, effectively canceling the state primary.
December 2023 On December 2, Muslim American leaders launch the #AbandonBiden campaign in Dearborn, Michigan, as a response to Biden's handling of the Gaza war.
On December 4, Arkansas election officials rule that news personality Cenk Uygur, a naturalized citizen who was born in Turkey, could not appear on the state's Democratic presidential primary ballot despite his argument that the 14th Amendment of the Constitution makes him eligible to run for president.
On December 7, the Lesser-Known Candidates Forum was held at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics. Twenty minor candidates, both Republican and Democratic, were in attendance.
On December 23, Phillips argues that Biden should "thoughtfully exit" the 2024 race.
On December 30, the #AbandonBiden campaign announces plans to expand to all fifty states.
2024 January 2024 On January 8, New England College hosts a debate between Williamson and Phillips in Manchester, New Hampshire.
On January 12, mail-in voting for the Democratic caucuses in Iowa begins.
And on the same day, United States Attorney General Merrick Garland appoints Robert Hur as special counsel in President Biden's handling of classified documents case.
On January 18, Phillips holds campaign events in Manchester and Hanover, New Hampshire, with 2020 Democratic Primary presidential candidate Andrew Yang.
The same day, Politico publishes an interview with Democratic Party presidential primary challenger Jason Palmer, in which he touted his status as the youngest Democratic presidential candidate and one of the youngest candidates in either party. He called on Biden and all older lawmakers to "pass the torch" to a younger generation of political leaders such as Gretchen Whitmer, Gavin Newsom, or Jared Polis.
On January 20, Phillips tells Axios that he thinks it would be "impossible" for Biden to do the job for four more years. And even being so blunt as to say, "At that stage of life, it is impossible ultimately to conduct, to prosecute the office of the American presidency in the way that this country in the world needs right now. That is an absolute truth."
On January 22, the New Hampshire attorney general's office begins investigating an audio deepfake robocall of President Biden that encouraged people not to vote in the state primary.