2020 Presidential Election

**The 2020 Presidential Election** was the 59th quadrennial election held in American history on November 3rd, 2020. In a very narrow victory, the Green-Democratic ticket of Senate Majority Leader Ralph Northam and Vice President Henry A. Wallace defeated Representative Rick Perry and Senator David Seimer to become the 47th and 48th President and Vice President respectively. The incumbent Green-Democratic president, Hadrian Potter was defeated in the primaries by Northam in a narrow election, giving Northam the Green-Democratic nomination. Concurrent to that day, the House and Senate elections were held.

Northam won 273 electoral votes, which was 3 more than the required 270. He had carried 23 states, along with DC, which included the important swing states of Arizona, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Perry won 265 electoral votes, just 5 votes away from the presidency. He carried 27 states along with Maine's 1st and 2nd congressional districts. Out of those states were the perennial swing states of Ohio and Florida. This was the first presidential election since the 1960 Presidential Election between Richard Nixon and John Kennedy that a presidential candidate had won without either of those states. However, various pre-election polls showed Perry at a narrow lead above Northam.

## Background

Article Two of the United States Constitution provides that the President and Vice President of the United States must be natural-born citizens of the United States, at least 35 years old, and residents of the United States for a period of at least 14 years. Candidates for the presidency typically seek the nomination of one of the political parties, in which case each party devises a method (such as a primary election) to choose the candidate the party deems best suited to run for the position. Traditionally, the primary elections are indirect elections where voters cast ballots for a slate of party delegates pledged to a particular candidate. The party's delegates then officially nominate a candidate to run on the party's behalf. The general election in November is also an indirect election, where voters cast ballots for a slate of members of the Electoral College; these electors in turn directly elect the President and Vice President.

President Hadrian Potter, a Green-Democrat and current U.S. Senator from the Northeast, was defeated in the primaries by President Ralph Northam, giving Northam the Green-Democratic nomination. Potter's term as president expired at noon on January 20, 2017.

## Timeline

* November 3, 2020: Election Day; at around 11:15 p.m. EST, the networks call Ohio for Perry, projecting him the winner of the election.
* November 3, 2020: The projection for Perry is withdrawn around 12:30 a.m. EST as Northam wins in North Carolina, bringing him 8 electoral votes to the presidency.
* November 4, 2020: Perry concedes to Northam at 1:10 a.m. EST as Arizona is called for Northam.
* November 6, 2020: The electoral outcomes of all 50 states and the District of Columbia have been definitively projected. Northam won 273 electoral votes while Perry won 265 electoral votes.
* December 17, 2020: The Electoral College formally elects President Northam and re-elects Vice President Wallace.
* January 20 , 2021: President Northam and Vice President Wallace take the oaths of office; Northam's presidential term begins at noon.

## Nominations

### **Green-Democratic Party**

#### **Primaries**

The Green-Democratic primaries were a long and tough battle between Senator Ralph Northam and the incumbent president Hadrian Potter. Though many political pundits predicted that the incumbent, Potter would secure the nomination from Northam. In fact, many polls showed Northam behind Potter by around 10 points. However, it inevitably ended up with Northam grabbing the Green-Democratic nomination by 52 percent for the 2020 presidential election.

Originally, Northam ran separately from the Green-Democrats for a while. He suspended his campaign early into the election season, but would later come back and battle Potter in the primaries to run as a Green-Democrat rather than independently of them.

#### **Primary Results**

 Potter
 Potter

#### **Primaries**

No primaries were held for the Republicans, as Texas Representative Rick Perry ran for the nomination unopposed.

**Nominees**