Former President Donald Trump has begun his bid for a third Republican nomination with wins in Iowa and New Hampshire, bringing him closer to a rematch with President Biden. But Nikki Haley, Trump’s lone remaining challenger, has vowed to stay in the race through at least the South Carolina GOP primary on Feb. 24.
Up next is Nevada, which is holding both a Republican primary (on Feb. 6) and caucus (Feb. 8). After that, South Carolina and Michigan will hold GOP primaries, followed by Super Tuesday —when more than a third of all GOP delegates will be up for grabs — in early March.
Before you know it, it will be summer, when both parties hold their conventions. And after the presidential debates — which are still on the schedule despite Trump’s unwillingness to participate in the GOP debates — it will be Election Day.
Here are just some of the key dates in the 2024 political calendar, a few of which are subject to change.
2024 election calendar
• Jan. 15: Iowa GOP caucuses
Trump scored a decisive victory, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis edged former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley for second place. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy finished a distant fourth, suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump.
• Jan. 23: New Hampshire primary
Trump defeated Haley, his lone remaining challenger in the GOP race after DeSantis dropped out two days before the primary. But Haley vowed to stay in the race through at least the South Carolina Republican primary. Biden won in New Hampshire despite not being on the ballot due to a rift between the Granite State and Democratic National Committee, which decided to make the South Carolina Democratic primary on Feb. 3 its first formal contest.
• Feb. 3: South Carolina Democratic primary
• Feb. 6-8: Nevada primary and caucuses
• Feb. 13: Long Island special election
Voters in New York’s Third Congressional District will pick a successor to George Santos, who was expelled from Congress in December following a scathing House Ethics Committee report that concluded he “blatantly stole from his campaign.” The candidates are former Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi, who won the seat in 2022 before leaving to run for governor, and Republican Mazi Melesa Pilip.
• Feb. 24: South Carolina Republican primary
• Feb. 27: Michigan primary
• March 4: Trump’s Jan. 6 trial
As of now, March 4 is the trial start date for the federal election interference case against Trump. The former president’s lawyers have sought to delay the trial until after the election.
• March 5: Super Tuesday
More than a third of all GOP delegates will be up for grabs on Super Tuesday, as 15 states — Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Vermont — and one territory (American Samoa) will hold their primaries or caucuses. Trump is not on the ballot in Colorado or Maine, where election officials declared him ineligible because of his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. Trump is appealing, and the cases could wind up in the Supreme Court.
Conventions
• July 15-18: Republican National Convention
The event will be held in Milwaukee, which hosted the 2020 Democratic National Convention during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Aug. 19-22: Democratic National Convention
The event will be held in Chicago, which has hosted 11 previous Democratic conventions — most recently in 1996, when Bill Clinton and Al Gore were nominated for reelection. It was also the site of the disastrous 1968 Democratic convention, which was held in the wake of the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy and marred by massive antiwar protests that turned violent.
Debates
• Sept. 16: 1st presidential debate
The Commission on Presidential Debates has scheduled three presidential debates, the first on Sept. 16 at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, as well as a vice presidential debate in late September.
• Sept. 25: Vice presidential debate
The lone sanctioned vice presidential debate will take place at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa., on Sept. 25.
• Oct. 1: 2nd presidential debate
The second presidential debate will take place at Virginia State University in Petersburg, Va., on Oct. 1.
• Oct. 9: 3rd presidential debate
The third and final presidential debate will take place at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Oct. 9, less than a month from Election Day.
• Nov. 5: Election Day
• Dec. 17: Deadline for electors to cast their votes
This was a routine, unremarkable ritual of U.S. democracy until the 2020 election — and the events that followed.
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
