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Who Will Win?

Meet the two main candidates competing to become the next U.S. president.

October 28, 2024
By the Editors of Scholastic News

As You Read, Think About: What is unique about this year’s presidential election?

The United States has elected a president every four years since the late 1780s. But this year’s election is shaping up to be unlike any other. 

Election Day is November 5. The two main candidates are Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Both have a chance to make history. Trump could become the first president since 1892 to be elected to nonconsecutive (not back-to-back) terms. If Harris wins, she’ll be the first woman to become president. 

But the historic race isn’t what most Americans were expecting. 

Newsie’s Challenge: What It Takes to Be President
Watch a video to learn what the requirements are for becoming the U.S. president.

Change of Plans

Each candidate represents one of the two biggest political parties in the U.S. Harris is the Democratic Party’s nominee, or choice. Trump is the choice of the Republican Party. 

Trump launched his campaign almost two years ago. For months, it looked like he would face President Joe Biden in a rematch of the 2020 presidential election. 

But Biden performed poorly in a debate against Trump in June. Biden dropped out of the race on July 21. He gave his support to his vice president, Harris, to run instead. 

Making It Official

By then, the Republicans had held their national convention. At that gathering, they nominated, or officially chose, Trump to be their candidate for president. 

Harris officially became the Democrats’ choice at their convention in August. She is the first Black woman and first Asian American to be chosen by a major party to run for president. 

Harris and Trump faced off in a debate on September 10. They were each asked to explain how they’d deal with the issues facing the nation. More than 67 million people watched on TV and online. The debate gave voters a chance to compare the candidates’ different plans.  

Race to the Finish Line

Illustration by Dave Perillo

To win the election, a candidate will need tens of millions of votes. Harris and Trump will campaign around the clock to gain as many votes as possible. 

They’ll travel across the country to give speeches. Trump and Harris will use social media apps like TikTok and YouTube to try to connect with voters. Americans can also expect to see plenty of campaign ads on TV and online before Election Day.

Who will win the race for the nation’s top job? We’ll find out soon!

Kamala Harris

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Born: October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California

Where She Lives: Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, California

Family: Harris has been married to Doug Emhoff since 2014. She is the stepmother of Emhoff’s two children from a previous marriage, Cole and Ella.

Career: Harris has served as U.S. vice president since 2021. From 2011 to 2017, she was California’s attorney general. In that role, she enforced the state’s laws. From 2017 to 2021, Harris represented California in the U.S. Senate.

Pictured: Harris with her running mate for vice president, Tim Walz

Donald Trump

DOUG MILLS/The New York Times/Redux

Born: June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York

Where He Lives: Palm Beach, Florida

Family: Trump has been married to Melania Trump since 2005. They have an 18-year-old son, Barron. Trump has four other children from previous marriages—Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric, and Tiffany. He also has 10 grandchildren.

Career: Trump served as the 45th U.S. president from 2017 to 2021. Before that, he was a businessman who made his fortune in real estate. His companies have built luxury apartment buildings, hotels, and golf courses around the world.

Pictured: Trump with his running mate for vice president, J.D. Vance

1. Why does the article say that both main candidates for president “have a chance to make history”?

2. Summarize the section “Making It Official.”

3. How does the article support the idea that the candidates will “campaign around the clock” in the days leading up to Election Day?

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