Meet the Candidates

Democratic Candidate

• Joe Biden
  • Official campaign website
  • Further reading

Six other candidates – Pete Buttigieg, Tulsi Gabbard, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren – received at least one delegate but have withdrawn from the race.

Republican Candidate

• Donald Trump (incumbent)
  • Official campaign website
  • Further reading

One other candidate, Bill Weld, received one delegate. Weld withdrew from the election on March 18, 2020.

Primaries & Caucuses

Across the country, people vote for their preferred presidential candidate in a primary or caucus. The rules for these elections vary by location and political party. In general, primaries are similar to the general election process where voters cast secret ballots for their preferred choice, while caucus voting is a show of open support by raising hands or organizing into groups.

There are primaries and caucuses held for Democratic and Republican candidates in all 50 states, plus the following territories:

• American Samoa
• District of Columbia
• Guam
• Northern Mariana
• Puerto Rico
• U.S. Virgin Islands

In addition, there is a global primary run by Democrats Abroad, the official arm of the Democratic Party for Americans living outside the United States.

Kansas Presidential Primary/Caucus

In Kansas, presidential primaries and caucuses are run by the respective political party. In 2020, the Kansas Democratic Party held a mail-only election due to coronavirus concerns. The ballot was ranked choice, meaning voters had the option of selecting more than one candidate in order of preference. Joe Biden earned 76.9 percent of the popular vote, while Bernie Sanders earned 23.1 percent, the Party announced.

The Republican Party chose not to organize a caucus in 2020 "because President Trump is an elected incumbent from the Republican Party," the party announced on Twitter.

Nomination

Delegates from each primary/caucus will formally select their party's nominee at a national nominating convention. Delegates are allocated proportionally based on the outcome of each primary/caucus. In 2020, 1,991 delegates are required to win the Democratic Party's primary and 1,276 delegates are required to win the Republican Party's primary.

In 2020, the Democratic Party's nominating convention was originally scheduled for July 13-16. It was postponed to August 17-20 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In 2020, the Republican Party's nominating convention will take place from August 24-27.