The United States Presidential Election is quite literally right around the corner, and on Nov. 5, citizens will be able to cast their votes for office. With a lot on the line for the country, citizens need to know about their choices. The candidates for the presidential election include Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, and Jill Stein. For the US Senate election in Pennsylvania, the candidates are Bob Casey and Dave McCormick.
US Presidential Election:
The biggest election of the year, the 2024 United States presidential election, will be voted for on Nov. 5. The big two, from the Republican and Democratic party are Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Former US president Trump is running for his second term as president, and current Vice President Harris is running for her first term.
Trump, the Republican party representative, has been an intriguing figure to follow in recent years. The 45th president of the United States is ready to “Make America Great Again” just like he did in his first presidential term. According to the Presidential Library in the National Archives, some of Trump’s accomplishments from his first term include reforming the tax code, responding to the opioid crisis, improving veteran healthcare, dealing with COVID-19, and much more.
Trump’s plan for his second term is very similar to his first. After debating Harris once, he has been heavy traveling, going from state to state and coast to coast. Some of his plans include making abortion a state decision, dealing with the issues of the US-Mexico border, and the mass deportation of illegal immigrants.
Harris burst onto the scene after the withdrawal of current president Joe Biden. The Democratic party nominee is the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American to be elected to be vice president.
“In 2017, she was sworn into the United States Senate where she championed legislation to fight hunger, provide rent relief, improve maternal health care, expand access to capital for small businesses, revitalize America’s infrastructure, and combat the climate crisis,” whitehouse.gov said.
Harris has many plans for going into a possible first presidency including cutting taxes, making rent more affordable, and growing small businesses. Harris would be the first woman president if elected into office in a few days.
Beyond the two major parties, there are also other candidates to watch out for. Jill Stein, a Harvard graduate, is running for president in the 2024 election as the Green Party representative. She is an environmentalist and has won awards for environmental health and protection.
Stein has run in previous elections, also for the Green Party, but was never voted into office. A lot of people look at parties like the Green Party as ‘vote stealers’ as no third-party candidate has ever been elected president. Stein looks to help the people, planet, and bring peace. She’s looking to fix the economy for the working class, make healthcare affordable, use more eco-friendly options around the country, and much more.
Pennsylvania Senate Election:
For Pennsylvanians, there is a big decision to make for their senate seat. Democratic party nominee Bob Casey and Republican party nominee Dave McCormick are both running.
Incumbent Senator Casey, born and raised in Scranton, Pa., has some big plans to make a difference in the country. He’s a supporter of children, senior citizens, and people with disabilities. He also looks to build a better economy by creating good-paying jobs and increasing the minimum wage for Pennsylvanians.
Casey plans to make Pennsylvania a commonwealth and to progress Pennsylvania from where it is at. He looks to fight against fentanyl, lower costs and fight inflation, affordable healthcare, support the veterans, seniors, children, and people with disabilities, as well as making Pennsylvania safer.
McCormick is a seventh-generation Pennsylvanian. McCormick has served some time in the US military and helped respond to the 2008 financial crisis. He ran for senate in Pennsylvania in 2022 and is looking to move forward.
McCormick is looking forward to his plans if he gets elected. He looks to fight inflation and lessen the burden of the people. He looks to help secure the border, stop violent crime, fight the fentanyl crisis, and put America on the world stage again.
Biggest Concerns for Young Voters:
First-time voters are going to be huge in this election as a new generation takes charge. Here are a few of the biggest concerns for young voters and how the candidates have responded.
Climate change is a big issue for the youth and one of the top priorities to get covered.
“I believe it is very important that we take seriously what we must do to guard against what is a clear crisis in terms of the climate. And to do that, we can do what we have accomplished thus far: The Inflation Reduction Act. What we have done to invest — by my calculation … probably a trillion dollars over the next ten years — investing in a clean energy economy,” Harris said in a CNN interview.
Trump, however, has a different view on climate change.
“To further defeat inflation, my plan will terminate the Green New Deal, which I call the green new scam. Greatest scam in history, probably. A $10 trillion scam that we waste. We throw it, like throwing money right out the window. It actually sets us back as opposed to moves us forward. And rescind all unspent funds under the misnamed Inflation Reduction Act,” he said at the Economic Club of New York.
“We need a Green New Deal with massive investment in green jobs, industries, and technologies to revitalize the American economy, improve our quality of life, protect our planet and safeguard our children’s future,” Jill Stein has stated on her own campaign website.
A second large issue is gun violence. According to CBS News Harris plans to: “ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, require universal background checks, and support red flag laws that keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people.” Stein would seem to agree.
Trump on the other hand is a big advocate for the Second Amendment. He also looks to aid schools when tragedy strikes and is considering potentially permitting teachers to carry guns and/or have retired military personnel on campus.
With Nov. 5 quickly approaching, voters and non-voters alike can continue to research candidates to stay informed ahead of this critical election.
