Joe Biden has announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election. Despite doubts and skepticism towards his age and ability to lead the country, he claims that America should elect to “finish the job” they have started.

While some expected Joe Biden to hand over the torch to a new candidate in the Democratic Party to due to his age, president Biden decided to run again, possibly his arch-enemy Donald J. Trump. Former president Trump announced his candidacy last November after the results of the Midterm elections were announced. After the former president faced major losses in the election with the loss of Republican candidates he endorsed including Mehmet Oz of Pennsylvania and Herschel Walker of Georgia, Ron Desantis faced a historical victory in the state of Florida to make Florida a red state. However, the two rivals have faced different fates recently with Trump’s indictment of sexual abuse charges. Experts have expected this to “benefit” Trump considering his political personality, with Trump attracting a great number of populist bases who are enthusiastic of the former president’s erratic actions in his campaign trails.

Before the announcement of Joe Biden’s candidacy, the Democratic Party’s nomination was in uncertainty with the lack of leadership compared to the Republican Party. Potential candidates including incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, and Secretary of Department of Transportation Pete Buttigieg were expected to run, as they were seen in the past running for the office. Most famously, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders made the run against former New York Senator, First Lady, and the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016 only to fall short and concede a few weeks before the last few primary elections. Compared to these lack of capable political candidates, the Republican party had been expected to have a strong competition other than Donald J. Trump who was expected to clinch the nomination without problem. Candidates included former Vice President Mike Pence, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, South Carolina Senator Nikki Haley, and most importantly Florida governor Ron Desantis who trailed Trump closely.

This made experts and the Democratic Party’s base advocate for the return of many former superstars such as former Senator Hillary Clinton, former First Lady Michelle Obama, and former Vice President Al Gore who has been advocating for environmental issues after his concession to George W. Bush in the 2000 election that caused controversy with the case of Bush v. Florida. Despite such apprehension and calls for a return of a superstar, they have shown their support to the incumbent president, especially Michelle Obama who showed great hesitancy to run for the position, claiming that “it was not an option” she considered.

With such a controversy and chaotic period before the presidential election, the 2024 presidential election is expected to be amidst a great change in American democracy. Hoping for the preservation of America’s democracy and the management of both domestic and foreign conflicts, the American public will determine the outcome of the transitory election in next year’s November.