2056 United States Presidential Election (Gallagher, Buttigieg)

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The 2056 United States presidential election took place on Tuesday, November 7, 2056. It was the 66th quadrennial presidential election. Voters selected presidential electors who voted on December 14, 2056,[2] to select a new president and vice president. The election occured simultaneously alongside elections for the House of Representatives, Senate, and various state and local-level elections.
In the most surprising result since 2044, the Democratic ticket of Secretary of State Pete Buttigieg and Mississippi Senator Hannah Boykin defeated the Republican ticket of Wisconsin Senator Mike Gallagher and Arkansas Governor Grayson McDonald. Beshear received 341 electoral votes and 51.1% of the popular vote, while Gallagher received 204 electoral votes and 48.6% of the popular vote.
It was the first time a party won three elections in a row since 1988. It was the first time Democrats won three elections in a row since 1948. Buttigieg was the first Democrat to win Louisiana since 1996.
==Background==
By the end of Beshear's second term, the country had seen immense recovery with unemployment declining to 4% and inflation dropping to 7%. 
In February 2053, the democratically-elected government in China was overthrown and replaced by a right-wing dictatorship. Initially, Beshear attempted to work with the new government, but following the Chinese invasion of Muslim-majority Xinjiang and a humanitarian crisis in Hong Kong in December 2055, the United Nations sent in a task force to reinstall democracy in China, starting the Sino-American War of 2056. 
The war also caused significant turmoil in countries arising from the collapse of the former Russian Federation as regional warlords took the opportunity to amass land and political power. 
China seemingly made progress at first, but their initiative stalled in May and the United Nations counterattacked in the early fall. The war proved extremely unpopular in America and Republicans chose to campaign on ending it, calling it "Beshear's War". 
==Republican Nomination==
The Republican nomination was split in four ways: Conservatives South Carolina Senator William Timmons and Louisiana Senator Ben Sanchez who hoped to bring the South back into the Republican Party, and Liberals Wisconsin Senator Mike Gallagher and Pennsylvania Governor Daniela Kaczynski. Sanchez and Gallagher soon began leading in the polls, having a very tight race with Gallagher winning in Iowa and New Hampshire, and Sanchez winning in South Carolina and Nevada.
Presenting himself as an extreme opponent of war, Gallagher managed to obtain the Republican nomination a couple weeks following Super Tuesday. Gallagher also benefitted from the internal collapse of the Southern Republican Party, a party appealing to white voters in an increasingly more-diverse region of the country. He chose conservative Arkansas Governor Grayson McDonald as his running mate in order to balance the ticket and win back the South.
==Democratic Nomination==
The three most prominent Democratic candidates were Vice President Beto O'Rourke, Secretary of State Pete Buttigieg, and Mississippi Senator Hannah Boykin. Both O'Rourke and Boykin represented the Southern wing of the Democratic Party, while Buttigieg represented the northern wing. 
Initially, Vice President O'Rourke was a shoo-in for the nomination, however, following some poor debate performances and with the outbreak of the Sino-American War of 2056 in December 2055, Secretary of State Buttigieg began to take the spotlight. Buttigieg supported the Beshear Administration's policies of unconditional surrender to China until they liberate Xinjiang and had spent more time away abroad than on the campaign trail, attempting to present himself as an experienced foreign policy negotiator. 
Buttigieg won in Iowa and New Hampshire, while Boykin carried South Carolina and O'Rourke won in Nevada. Following Super Tuesday, Buttigieg easily secured the nomination. He selected Hannah Boykin as his running mate in order to increase his appeal to the South, an important battleground area.
==Campaign==
With the economy being at its strongest point in decades, the campaign was dominated by the ongoing Sino-American War. Buttigieg campaigned on continuing the war until China surrenders its claims over Xinjiang and Hong Kong, while Gallagher presented himself as a strict isolationist who blamed the Democrats for the war and wanted to end it immediately. 
In May, everyone expected a Republican blowout after eight years of a Democratic Administration and a very unpopular war. Gallagher was polling at 54% compared to Buttigieg's 44%. Buttigieg's numbers dropped as low as 37% after the fall of Hong Kong in late May. Nonetheless, as China's initiative slowed over the summer and the United Nations launched a successful counterattack in September, Buttigieg's numbers began to improve.
By late September, Gallagher was only leading 50% to 47% over Buttigieg. Negotiations with China to end the war began between the Beshear Administration and the Chinese government in mid-October with Secretary of State Pete Buttigieg being at the center of negotiations. On Election Day, the polls showed Gallagher at 48% with Buttigieg at 47%.
==Results==
Pete Buttigieg won the election with 341 electoral votes and 51.1% of the popular vote. Mike Gallagher came in second place with 204 electoral votes and 48.6% of the popular vote. 
Gallagher was able to flip the states of Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Connecticut from the previous election, while Buttigieg flipped the state of Louisiana. Buttigieg was the first Democrat to win Louisiana since 1996. It was the first time Republicans won Connecticut since 1988 and the first time they won Massachussetts since 1984. Puerto Rico voted for the Democratic Party.
Category:Elections