2024 presidential primary race schedule: A month-by-month guide

Washington DC - America will soon head out to vote for their next commander in chief. But before that day, presidential hopefuls will have to battle it out on the campaign trail!

Democrats and Republicans will be holding primary contests around the country as each party decides on who will be their nominee for the general elections.
Democrats and Republicans will be holding primary contests around the country as each party decides on who will be their nominee for the general elections.  © Collage: IMAGO / Pond5 Images, SAUL LOEB, Joseph Prezioso, & ALMOND NGAN / AFP, & Brandon Bell / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

The 2024 primary elections are in full swing, but with so many upcoming contests, it can be a bit overwhelming to keep up with.

On the Democrat side, incumbent Joe Biden was largely assumed to be the party's first-choice nominee straight out the gate, even as several challengers stepped up to bat.

While self-help author Marianne Williamson recently dropped out, Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips and political commentator Cenk Uger are still in the race. Voters have continued to back Biden, however, with the president winning by large margins in early-voting states.

Trump bashes "completely inept" Harris for 60 Minutes interview after bailing on his own
Donald Trump Trump bashes "completely inept" Harris for 60 Minutes interview after bailing on his own

As for Republicans, voters and party officials have largely gotten behind front-runner Donald Trump. This comes despite the fact that he is currently facing 91 criminal charges and other legal issues that present immediate threats to his re-election efforts.

Candidate Nikki Haley remains in the running as Trump's last standing challenger. Following her latest loss in the New Hampshire primary in January, Haley vowed to stay in the race. This didn't sit well with Trump, who bizarrely claimed that Haley could face criminal investigations if she continued to run.

The primaries may feel a bit anti-climactic this time around, but with so many more contests between now and November, crazy things are sure to happen!

February 2024

In February, the Democratic Party will hold primary elections in Nevada on February 6 and in Michigan on February 27.

On February 8, Republicans will hold caucuses in Nevada and the Virgin Islands as well as primaries in South Carolina on February 24 and Michigan on February 27.

South Carolina will easily be the contest that the nation pays the most attention to as Haley, who was once governor of the state, faces off against Trump. The outcome of this battle may determine whether Haley will continue her campaign efforts or leave Trump to coast his way to receiving the Republican party's nomination.

March 2024

At the beginning of the month, Republicans will have caucuses on March 2 in Michigan, Idaho, and Missouri. A contest will also be held in Washington DC on March 3 and in North Dakota on March 4.

March 5 will mark Super Tuesday, where both Democratic and Republican primaries will be held in 16 states including Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and American Samoa. The state of Iowa will also be holding Democrat elections that day.

Of all the months ahead of November's general election, March will be the one to watch as the majority of US states will hold elections. Those left in the race with no clear path to victory would be wise to drop out beforehand.

April 2024

April will be very busy for Democrats! On April 2, primaries will be held in Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. Alaska will hold their primary on April 6, Wyoming on April 13, and Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico will close out the month on April 23 and April 28 respectively.

Republicans will have a far less hectic month, with the busiest time coming on April 2 when primaries will be held in the same states as Democrat contests. Puerto Rico will cast their Republican vote a bit earlier on April 21 and Pennsylvania will also vote blue April 23.

At this point, even with only the party nominees left in the race, the results in many of these states may give some insight on how things may play out in November.

May 2024

May will be a bit easier to follow as primaries for both Republicans and Democrats will be held on the same day in most states this month. Indiana kicks things off on May 7 with Maryland, Nebraska, and West Virginia following on May 14. Kentucky and Oregon will then have their contests on May 21.

The state of Idaho will hold their Democrat vote on May 23 after having already cast ballots for Republicans back in March.

Although things may be winding down with the primaries, the remaining candidates will probably begin aggressively campaigning with November fast approaching.

June 2024 – the final primary month

June will end the primary season with only two days of voting. On June 4, Democrats will hold their contest in Washington DC, and both parties will hold primaries in Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota.

On June 8, the race will wind down with Democrat contests in Guam and the Virgin Islands.

From here the Republican National Committee will hold their National Convention in July, while the Democratic National Committee will have theirs in August. During the events, the parties will officially crown the chosen nominees for the general election.

Americans will then head to the ballot box again on November 5 to finally vote for the next president of the United States.

Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO / Pond5 Images, SAUL LOEB, Joseph Prezioso, & ALMOND NGAN / AFP, & Brandon Bell / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

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