The presidential race is heating up, and all students should be aware of the latest developments. This election is crucial to our generation, and it is very important that voters are informed. Here are the latest developments, so that the next time you hear a discussion about politics, you can jump in.
GOP
After four primaries on the GOP side, Ted Cruz has won Iowa, and Donald Trump has won New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada. Marco Rubio has finished second in one state, and has gained significant support from wealthy campaign contributors and key endorsements from fellow GOP lawmakers. A recent development is the suspension of Jeb Bush's campaign after an embarrassing finish in the early states. Bush was often seen as the frontrunner before the start of the race, and he raised a staggering 160 million dollars for the campaign. After being "beaten up" by Trump, who described Bush as "low energy" and "weak on immigration," Jeb could never gain any momentum with voters.
The field has been narrowed down to five candidates: businessman Donald Trump, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Ohio Governor John Kasich, and Dr. Ben Carson. The next test for these candidates is "super Tuesday." A group of states all vote on March 1 and on that date candidates can win many delegates needed to win the nomination.
Democrats
On the Democrat side, the campaign is down to two candidates: Bernie Sanders, a Vermont Senator, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Clinton won Iowa and Nevada, and Sanders won in New Hampshire.
Clinton has frequently been cited as the frontrunner and enjoys the backing of many fellow Democrats. Senator Sanders, who is running on a message of economic reform and equality, has consistently been more popular than Clinton among college students. Clinton, however, outperforms Sanders when dealing with African-American Voters.
The candidates have been focusing on national security, police violence, and the issues of economic and banking reform. So far, President Obama has declined to endorse a candidate. The next contest for the democratic nominees is in the State of South Carolina.
