primary election

Examples of primary election in the following topics:

• Nominating Candidates

  • To nominate candidates, political parties hold primary elections.
  • Primary elections are used to narrow the field of candidates for the general election.
  • In a primary, several members of the same political party campaign to become their party's nominee in the general election.
  • Whichever primary candidate emerges from the primary election with the most delegates becomes the party's presumptive nominee.
  • These candidates do not need to participate in primary elections, since they are not seeking the nomination of a political party.

• Primaries and Caucuses

  • Primary elections and caucuses are used to narrow the field of candidates in each major political party before a general election.
  • The Iowa caucuses are the first nominating election to occur in the presidential primary season and, therefore, they often have a significant impact on later primaries.
  • In America's two-party political system, political parties rely on primary elections and caucuses to nominate candidates for general elections.
  • Consequently, attaining a party nomination by winning a primary election or caucus is a necessary step to becoming a major election candidate.
  • Not every election is preceded by a primary season, but most major races, such as presidential and congressional races, use primaries to narrow the field of candidates.

• Types of Elections

  • The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.
  • A primary election is an election that narrows the field of candidates before the general election.
  • Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election.
  • In the case of closed primaries, only party members can vote.
  • By contrast, in an open primary all voters may cast votes on a ballot of any party.

• Organizing Campaigns and Elections

  • In addition to hosting conventions and selecting candidates to run in presidential elections, political parties play key roles in organizing campaigns and elections.
  • Such connections play a vital role in allowing presidential candidates to maintain a base of supporters they can depend upon during elections.
  • At the start of the preliminary election season, the DNC and RNC are responsible for establishing the rules for the caucuses and primary elections.
  • These caucuses and primaries are usually not run by the DNC and RNC but instead by the state.
  • The DNC and RNC also engage in coordinating fundraising and election strategies.

• The Rise of Independents

  • There have been several Independents elected to the United States Senate throughout history.
  • Some officials have been elected as members of a party but became an Independent while in office (without being elected as such), such as Wayne Morse of Oregon or Virgil Goode of Virginia.
  • Norris won re-election as an Independent in 1936, but later lost his final re-election attempt to Republican Kenneth S.
  • After the 2008 primary election, New Mexico State Senator Joseph Carraro left the Republican Party and registered as an Independent.
  • In November 2005, Manny Diaz was elected Mayor of Miami, Florida as an Independent.

• The General Election Campaign

  • The presidential general election occurs after the primary season and is the process through which a national vote chooses the president.
  • In the United States, a presidential election is held every four years and includes both a primary season and a general election.
  • During the primary season, the two major political parties narrow the field of candidates through state votes to nominate the party's candidate for the general election.
  • Because parties provide candidates with voter and staff networks and material resources, they have an incentive to present a unified front and only support one candidate, hence, winning the primary season is a necessary first step to becoming a major candidate in a general election.
  • The presidential general election lasts from the end of the primary season, usually in June, until the vote on the first Tuesday of November.

• Candidates for Congressional Elections

  • Senators are elected by their state as a whole.
  • In most states, a primary election is held first for the Republican and Democratic parties, with the general election following a few months later.
  • House elections are first-past-the-post elections that elect a Representative from each of 435 House districts which cover the United States.
  • House elections occur every two years, correlated with presidential elections or halfway through a President's term.
  • An increasing trend has been for incumbents to have an overwhelming advantage in House elections, and since the 1994 election, an unusually low number of seats has changed hands in each election.

• Regulating Campaign Finance

  • Although most campaign spending is privately financed, public financing is available for qualifying candidates for President of the United States during both the primaries and the general election.
  • This includes (1) a "matching" program for the first $250 of each individual contribution during the primary campaign, (2) financing the major parties' national nominating conventions, and (3) funding the major party nominees' general election campaigns.
  • To receive subsidies in the primary, candidates must qualify by privately raising $5000 each in at least 20 states.
  • In 2004 Bush and Democrats John Kerry and Howard Dean chose not to take matching funds in the primary.
  • In addition to primary matching funds, the public funding program also assists with financing the major parties' (and eligible minor parties') presidential nominating conventions and funding the major party (and eligible minor party) nominees' general election campaigns.

• Voting as Political Participation

  • Voting is the most prominent form of political participation, and in fact, for many people, it is the primary means of participating in politics.
  • Expanded voter registration means that more and more people have been able to participate, and voter turnout trends indicate how many people exercise their right to vote as a primary means of political participation.
  • How many people actually participate in elections often depends on the type of election.
  • A large number of elections are held in the United States every year, including local elections, elections for county and statewide offices, primaries, and general elections.
  • Since America's founding, voting has been a primary avenue for citizen participation in politics.

• The Election of 1936

  • The presidential election of 1936 between Franklin D.
  • The 70-year-old Borah, a well-known member of the progressive wing of the Republican Party, won or performed strongly in a number of primaries.
  • Henry Skillman Breckinridge, an anti-New Deal lawyer from New York, challenged Roosevelt in four primaries and lost by wide margins.
  • Overall, Roosevelt received 93% of the primary vote, compared to 2% for Breckinridge.
  • Despite the eventual landslide results, the outcome of the 1936 election did not seem certain in the months prior to the election.