By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
Much happened in 2024 in the political arena, from a contentious election season that included Vice President Kamala Harris’ (D) historic run for president to the election of the first Black senators from the states of Maryland and Delaware.
Take a look back at the key political moments that helped shape 2024 and set up changes to come in 2025.
Credit: AP Photo / Jess Rapfogel
2024 presidential election
Top candidates face off in primary elections
At the top of the year, President Joe Biden (D) was the only person with enough support to be the presidential nominee within the Democratic Party. The primaries for Democrats were more of a procedural step, while Republicans had much more competition.
Though former president Donald Trump announced he was running for office as a Republican again in March 2023, the numerous ongoing lawsuits he faced leading up to and throughout the primary season led many to believe his contenders had a chance.
His opponents during the primaries included former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R), Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) and former Vice President Mike Pence.
As primaries across the country took place, it became clear that the former president still largely had the support of Republican voters. After he won the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15, his opponents quickly began to drop out of the race.
Biden withdraws
On June 27, Biden and his Republican opponent faced off in a televised debate hosted by CNN that ended with Democrats spiraling into a panic and some even calling for Biden to step out of the race. Through the days and weeks after the debate, Democrats were split on what to do, and who to blame for the poor debate performance from Biden.
Calls for Biden to step down as the presumed Democratic nominee grew louder for weeks until July 21, when he officially announced that he was bowing out of the race, putting his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris (D).
After the announcement, Harris received a booming reception from Democratic voters, investors and leaders. Within the first 24 hours, Harris’ campaign raised more than $81 million.
Democrats quickly pivoted to show their support for Harris and her pick for vice president, Tim Walz, at the democratic national convention. Though the buzz and excitement wasn’t just for Harris and Wallz, it was for Biden. At the convention, they thanked Biden for his years of service in the party and office.
Debate night
As the Nov. 5 general election approached, former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris agreed to a debate. It ended up being the only debate between the two.
The Sep. 10 debate gave voters a chance to hear more about Harris’s stance, and see how she performs against the former president. The reception was positive for Harris, but voters still wanted to know more about her agenda and how it would differ from Biden’s.
National polls depicted that Harris was catching up in some key states and even overtook the Republican nominee in others. However, on election night it was a different story.
Early voting
Voters across the nation turned out in massive numbers during the early voting period in the 2024 election.
In Georgia, over 4 million people, 55.3 percent of registered voters, cast their ballots by early or absentee voting ahead of the Nov. 5 general election.
In Maryland, 1.6 million people voted between the early voting period of Oct. 24 and Oct. 31.
Election Day 2024
On Nov. 5, Election Day finally arrived, with millions showing up at the polls.
On Election Day, over 5 million people, 72.9 percent of active voters, cast their ballots in the Peach State. In Maryland, over 3 million voters, 72.84 percent of eligible voters, cast their ballots.
As the last voting centers closed, election officials began to tally up the votes.
The former president led throughout the night, and where political experts thought the race would not be called until later in the week, the race was called for the Republican nominee the next morning.
Harris’ strongest support came from Black women at 89 percent, Latina women at 59 percent and Black men at 74 percent. Still, the Nov. 5 general election led Republicans to achieve a trifecta of power, winning a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate and the Office of the Commander in Chief.
According to the Associated Press, 60 percent of White men, 48 percent of Latino men and 53 percent of White women voted for the current president-elect.
This was an upset for many and left the Democratic Party scrambling to figure out what happened, and how to quickly prepare for the incoming administration and their widely publicized agenda.
On November 26, Special Counsel Jack Smith dropped charges against the elected president for his part in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol.
State legislative sessions
Maryland General Assembly
The 2024 Maryland General Assembly kicked off on Jan. 10. At the top of the session, Maryland state legislators were grappling with how to address heightened concerns around juvenile violence and a large budget deficit.
In the end, on April 8, the assembly passed a juvenile justice reform bill that expanded the juvenile court’s jurisdiction to include 10 through 12-year-olds who allegedly committed animal abuse, car theft, third-degree sexual offenses and crimes involving firearms. The previous state law said that youth under 13 could not be charged with a crime.
The new juvenile law took effect on Nov. 1.
As for the deficit, legislators decided not to increase taxes in order to balance the budget, but they did agree to increase several fees and fines such as for vehicle registration and speeding in work zones.
New York State Assembly
During the New York State Assembly’s 2024 legislative session, state lawmakers passed bills that would make prescription drugs more affordable, eliminate hidden fees and protect access to reproductive health care. The session ran from Jan. 3 to June 6.
Georgia State Assembly
As a result of Georgia’s 2023-2024 state legislative session, police will face tightened regulations on working with immigration officials and residents will encounter new rules for challenging voter eligibility. Lawmakers also banned the use of QR codes for ballot counting.
The 2024 portion of the state’s two-year session ran from Jan. 8 to March 28.
U.S. Congress
Credit: AP Photo / Jacquelyn Martin
In Maryland, a majorly blue state, the primary elections were jampacked with campaigning and debates for different races. There were several notable seats up for grabs in the U.S. Senate. In Maryland, on May 6, 2023 longtime politician Sen. Ben Cardin announced his last year as a senator from Maryland. This triggered several campaigns for his seat. Most notably,
Former Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) went up against wealthy Congressman David Trone (D-Md.-06).
Though Alsobrooks was out-funded by Trone for most of the campaign–making it seem unlikely that she would emerge victorious–she made it clear who would carry the torch forward against the leading Republican candidate, former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan.
On May 14 Alsobrooks defeated Trone in the Democratic primary race for U.S. Senate, and on Nov. 5 the people of Maryland spoke, choosing Alsobrooks to represent the state on the national stage instead of Hogan. In addition, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski (D) was elected to Congress. He will represent the people living in Maryland’s Second Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Alsobrooks is the first Black person in the state to be elected to the U.S. Senate.
Voters stick with Baltimore City Mayor Brandon M. Scott
Credit: Instagram / Brandon M. Scott
First mayor to be reelected in two decades
On the local level, in Baltimore, the seat for mayor was up for grabs. Mayor Brandon M. Scott (D) aimed to become the first mayor in 20 years in the city to be reelected to a second term. Former Mayor Sheila Dixon took aim at reclaiming the position, but ultimately, Scott ended up winning the primary on May 14 with 52.78 percent of the vote. This gave him a clear shot at being officially re-elected—as Republicans typically don’t win the seat.
Personally, the year also offered other wins for Scott, who announced that he and wife Hana Scott will soon welcome another child together.
Criminal court blues
On May 30, former president Donald Trump was convicted of 34 felony charges of falsifying business records in the first degree. He made history as the first former U.S. President to be indicted and convicted of criminal charges.
Assassination attempts
Leading up to the Republican and Democratic conventions, an attempted assassination occurred against the former president. During a rally in Pennsylvania on July 13, several shots were suddenly fired at the Republican candidate who eventually ducked behind the podium as attendees in the stands behind him started to crouch as well.
Though two died as a result of the incident, including the gunman himself, the former president only sustained a gash on his ear.
At the Republican National Convention, held from July 15-18, supporters in the crowd could be seen wearing bandages on their ears like the former president wore at the convention.
Police arrested another man who they allege was plotting a second attempt on the former president’s life on Sept. 15.
New York Mayor is indicted
Credit: AP Photo/ Kena Betancur
New York City Mayor Eric Adams was federally indicted on Sept. 26 charging him with alleged bribery, campaign finance and conspiracy charges while in office. He has since pleaded not guilty.
Adams could receive a maximum sentence of 20 years for one count of wire fraud and five years for one count of conspiracy to get campaign contributions from “foreign nationals” and commit wire fraud and bribery. As well, he could face an additional 10 years maximum for one count of soliciting and accepting a bribe.
Former Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby avoids jail time
Credit: AP Photo/ Julio Cortez
In February, former Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby was found guilty of two counts of mortgage fraud relating to her purchase of a property in Longboat Key, Fla.
Mosby was previously found guilty in Nov. 2023 on two counts of perjury for incorrectly claiming she experienced financial hardship in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Throughout her trials, Mosby’s supporters came out in droves claiming the charges were unjust, personal and unnecessary. Some of her supporters included Ben Crump, a renowned civil rights attorney and Angela Rye, a social justice advocate.
Ultimately, a federal judge decided to sentence her to one year of home detention and 100 hours of community service on May 23.
Though many have pushed for months for Biden to grant her clemency, he did not include her in the roughly 1,500 people he pardoned on Dec. 12. An online petition for a presidential commutation of her sentence, has 93,263 signatures as of Dec. 20.
The post A year in review: Key political events that shaped 2024 appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
