From January 23 to June 8, 2024, presidential primaries and caucuses were organized by the Democratic Party to select delegates to determine the party's nominee for president in the 2024 United States presidential election. The elections took place in all U.S. states except Florida and Delaware, in the District of Columbia, in five U.S. territories, and as organized by Democrats Abroad.
On April 25, 2023, incumbent president Joe Biden announced that he would seek re-election in 2024. Eventually, three main primary opponents emerged: self-help author Marianne Williamson, who declared her candidacy in March 2023; anti-vaccine activist and environmental attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who launched his candidacy in April 2023; and U.S. Representative Dean Phillips of Minnesota, who announced his candidacy in October 2023. Phillips argued that Biden would be a weak general election candidate due to his age and his low approval ratings. Additionally, the Uncommitted National Movement, supported by some Muslim Americans, Arab Americans, progressives, and socialists began advocating in 2024 for an "uncommitted" vote in protest against Biden due to his support for Israel during the Gaza war.
Kennedy withdrew from the Democratic primaries in October 2023 to run as an independent candidate. On March 6, 2024, Phillips suspended his campaign and endorsed Biden. After stopping and restarting her campaign, Williamson ended her campaign for the final time on July 29, 2024. Phillips received the second-highest number of delegates in the primaries of any candidate (four delegates gained).
Biden became the presumptive presidential nominee of the Democratic Party on March 12, 2024 by securing over 1,968 pledged delegates. Ultimately, Biden withdrew from the race on July 21 after losing the support of many Democrats because of age and health concerns following a debate with Donald Trump. He immediately endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the party's presidential nominee. By the next day, Harris had secured the non-binding support of enough uncommitted delegates that were previously pledged to Biden to make her the party's presumptive nominee. Harris officially became the party's presidential nominee following a virtual roll call with the support of approximately 97.21% of all the delegates. Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, would go on to lose the election to the Republican ticket of Donald Trump and JD Vance.
Candidates
As of April 2024, more than 190 candidates have filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2024.
Following the withdrawal of President Biden on July 21, 2024, the race became an open contest to be decided at the Democratic National Convention.
Withdrew during the primaries
Other candidates
Primaries and caucus calendar
Ballot access
The following is a table of which candidates received ballot access in which states in the Democratic Party primaries.
indicates that the candidate was on the ballot for the primary contest.
indicates that the candidate was a recognized write-in candidate.
indicates that the candidate did not appear on the ballot in that state's contest.
indicates that a candidate withdrew before the election but was still listed on the ballot.
Timeline
2023
February 2023
On February 4, the Democratic National Committee approves a new primary calendar, moving South Carolina to February 3, followed by Nevada and New Hampshire on February 6, Georgia on February 13, and Michigan on February 27. Iowa, which traditionally goes first, would then be held later in the primary season. The DNC gives Georgia and New Hampshire an extended deadline of June to modify their state laws so they can comply with the new dates (New Hampshire state law mandates them to hold the first primary in the country, while Georgia state law requires them to hold both the Democratic and Republican primaries on the same day), but this remains unlikely to happen since both states have Republican-controlled state legislatures.
March 2023
On March 3, the DNC declares their full support for President Biden's re-election, stating they do not plan to host any official debates.
On March 4, author Marianne Williamson announces her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination as the first major primary challenger to incumbent President Biden.
April 2023
On April 6, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. files to challenge Biden in the 2024 Democratic primary.
The same day, the Idaho Legislature passes House Bill 138, moving the state's presidential primary date to May while also eliminating the original primary date in March.
On April 11, the Democratic Party announces that its convention will be held in Chicago, Illinois.
On April 19, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., environmental lawyer and son of Robert F. Kennedy, formally announces his presidential campaign in a launch event in Boston.
On April 25, incumbent Democratic President Joe Biden announces his bid for re-election in 2024.
June 2023
On June 4, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Instagram account is reinstated after it was suspended in February 2021 for sharing misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine.
On June 11, a Suffolk University poll finds that 8 in 10 Democratic voters would like to see Biden debate other Democratic primary candidates.
On June 15, in an interview on The Joe Rogan Experience, Kennedy raises the belief that he could be assassinated by the Central Intelligence Agency.
On June 17, President Joe Biden begins his campaign at a rally in Philadelphia.
September 2023
On September 12, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy announces an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, alleging that he benefited from business dealings with his son Hunter.
On September 14, Hunter Biden is indicted on three firearm-related charges returned by a federal grand jury in Wilmington, Delaware.
On September 16, an armed man impersonating a U.S. Marshal is arrested at a Robert Kennedy Jr. campaign event in Los Angeles.
October 2023
On October 6, the DNC reaches a compromise with the Iowa Democratic Party, allowing the Iowa Democratic caucuses to be held first on January 15, 2024, but voting on presidential candidates would also be done via mail-in ballots until Super Tuesday, March 5, 2024.
On October 9, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. withdraws from the Democratic primaries and launches an independent campaign.
On October 12, progressive commentator Cenk Uygur announces his presidential campaign. Despite his announcement, Uygur is ineligible to serve as president due to being born in Turkey to non U.S. citizens.
On October 16, the Biden campaign launches an account on Truth Social.
On October 24, with New Hampshire state officials moving forward in accordance with their state law mandating them to hold the first primary in the country, denying the DNC's request to hold it after South Carolina's, Biden campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodriguez states that he will not appear on the New Hampshire primary ballot.
On October 26, a man attempts to trespass on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s residence in Brentwood, Los Angeles, and is arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department.
The same day, U.S. Representative Dean Phillips files paperwork to run against President Biden for the Democratic nomination.
On October 27, Dean Phillips launches his presidential campaign in Concord, New Hampshire.
November 2023
On November 13, The Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences at Dartmouth College and the Dartmouth Political Union co-host a discussion as part of their "Path to the Presidency" speaker series with Dean Phillips to discuss his campaign and policy positions.
On November 15, the New Hampshire presidential primary date is set for January 23, 2024, defying the DNC's planned schedule.
On November 18, Dean Phillips discusses the case for his campaign at the 2023 Blue Jamboree rally hosted by the Charleston County Democratic Party in South Carolina.
On November 30, the Florida Democratic Party only submits Biden as a candidate to the Secretary of State of Florida, effectively canceling the state primary.
December 2023
On December 2, Muslim American leaders launch the #AbandonBiden campaign in Dearborn, Michigan, as a response to Biden's handling of the Gaza war.
On December 4, Arkansas election officials rule that news personality Cenk Uygur, a naturalized citizen who was born in Turkey, could not appear on the state's Democratic presidential primary ballot despite his argument that the 14th Amendment of the Constitution makes him eligible to run for president.
On December 7, the Lesser-Known Candidates Forum was held at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics. Twenty minor candidates, both Republican and Democratic, were in attendance.
On December 23, Phillips argues that Biden should "thoughtfully exit" the 2024 race.
On December 30, the #AbandonBiden campaign announces plans to expand to all fifty states.
2024
January 2024
On January 8, New England College hosts a debate between Williamson and Phillips in Manchester, New Hampshire.
On January 12, mail-in voting for the Democratic caucuses in Iowa begins.
And on the same day, United States Attorney General Merrick Garland appoints Robert Hur as special counsel in President Biden's handling of classified documents case.
On January 18, Phillips holds campaign events in Manchester and Hanover, New Hampshire, with 2020 Democratic Primary presidential candidate Andrew Yang.
The same day, Politico publishes an interview with Democratic Party presidential primary challenger Jason Palmer, in which he touted his status as the youngest Democratic presidential candidate and one of the youngest candidates in either party. He called on Biden and all older lawmakers to "pass the torch" to a younger generation of political leaders such as Gretchen Whitmer, Gavin Newsom, or Jared Polis.
On January 20, Phillips tells Axios that he thinks it would be "impossible" for Biden to do the job for four more years. And even being so blunt as to say, "At that stage of life, it is impossible ultimately to conduct, to prosecute the office of the American presidency in the way that this country in the world needs right now. That is an absolute truth."
On January 22, the New Hampshire attorney general's office begins investigating an audio deepfake robocall of President Biden that encouraged people not to vote in the state primary.
On January 23, President Biden wins the non-binding New Hampshire Democratic primary through write-in votes. Biden wins over 60% of the vote. Phillips also wins a significant number of votes, winning over 19% of the vote.
On January 27, President Biden and Congressman Phillips speak at the South Carolina Democratic Party's First-in-the-Nation Celebration dinner in Columbia, South Carolina.
On January 31, U.S. Senator Tina Smith sends a one-minute video to the Washington Press Club Foundation's annual congressional dinner "roasting" Representative Phillips over his campaign to challenge President Biden for the Democratic Party's nomination for president.
February 2024
On February 2, the Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimously orders election officials to put Phillips on the presidential primary ballot after the Wisconsin Elections Commission had excluded him.
On February 3, President Biden wins the South Carolina Democratic primary.
On February 4, after his loss in the South Carolina primary, Phillips vowes to remain in the race as "a mission of principle".
On February 5, Special Counsel Robert Hur releases his report on Biden's handling of classified documents. He states that "no criminal charges are warranted" and that the probe "uncovered evidence that President Biden willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his vice presidency when he was a private citizen."
On February 6, President Biden wins the Nevada Democratic primary.
On February 7, Marianne Williamson suspends her campaign.
On February 27, President Biden wins the Michigan Democratic primary.
On February 28, Marianne Williamson re-enters the race after the results of the Michigan primary.
March 2024
On March 5, Super Tuesday President Biden wins fifteen states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia, while businessman Jason Palmer wins American Samoa.
On March 6, Dean Phillips suspends his campaign and endorses Biden. After the endorsement President Biden calls Phillips on the phone. Phillips says the two "had a wonderful conversation" that ended in an invitation to discuss the state of the 2024 race at the White House.
The same day, President Biden wins the Hawaii Democratic caucus.
On March 12, President Biden wins the Georgia, Mississippi, Northern Mariana Islands, and Washington primaries, clinching enough delegates to become the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party.
On March 19, President Biden wins the Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, and Ohio primaries. Despite having already dropped out, Dean Phillips wins three delegates in the Ohio primary. Congressman Phillips was still on the ballot on election day and gained his delegates by meeting the 15% threshold of votes needed to receive a delegate in a congressional district in the state's 2nd, 6th, and 14th districts.
On March 23, President Biden wins the Louisiana and Missouri primaries.
On March 30, President Biden wins the North Dakota Democratic primary which is conducted almost entirely through mail-in ballots.
April 2024
On April 2, President Biden wins the Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. The Delaware Democratic presidential primary was canceled, with the delegates awarded to Biden.
On April 13, President Biden wins the Wyoming Democratic caucus and the Alaska Democratic primary.
On April 23, President Biden wins the Pennsylvania Democratic primary.
On April 27, President Biden wins all 25 of New Hampshire's pledged delegates in a party-backed firehouse primary held by the New Hampshire Democratic Party at Saint Anselm College's New Hampshire Institute of Politics.
On April 28, President Biden wins the Puerto Rico Democratic primary.
May 2024
On May 7, President Biden wins the Indiana Democratic primary.