2020
President Donald Trump / Vice President Mike Pence 279 EV
Senator Kamala Harris / Representative Tim Ryan 259 EV
The 2020 election would be a total letdown for the Democrats. When the dust settled, only two states, Arizona and Michigan, would flip in an election seen as a rerun of four years earlier. Although Wisconsin was close, Michigan was once again the closest state, and by raw vote margins Minnesota was closer than Wisconsin. Trump broke 60% in Missouri and the popular vote was close to a tie.
Donald Trump's health was ailing, and as he put on his best face for the nation he was the subject of great sympathy. There was an understanding among Republicans that a vote for Trump was a vote for Pence. This came true as Trump resigned in late 2021, and Mike Pence became the 46th President.
2024:
Senator Beto O'Rouke, who had won his seat in 2020 in an otherwise disappointing race for Democrats, would win a close primary against Senator Sherrod Brown. Beto would go on to triumph against President Pence who was trying to run for his own term. Pence was only barely break Ohio's winning streak as his resources were diverted to Georgia, Florida, and above all Texas. In the end, he somehow came close to losing Kansas of all places.
2028:
President Beto wins against a deeply divided opposition. Two separate "Republican" candidates run (one officially under the Libertarian party), and spend far more time attacking each other than the President. By election day, the President was assured of victory and the Republican party would be split for over a decade. The latter result was not even expected after election day, but the split within the party would be far worse than 1912. This election marks the end of the 6th party system.
2032 Democratic Primary
In 2031, as the Republican party continued to further fracture and bicker with itself while the economic slumped, many believed that the Democratic primary could be the "real" election next year. Vast numbers of Republicans and Independents registered as Democrats to have a say in which woman the party should nominate: Beto's chosen successor, Secretary Torres from New Mexico, or Governor Margaret Weber of North Dakota. Weber (Green) was economically more left wing than her neoliberal opponent but was perceived as more compromising on social issues. After winning the primary, Weber easily won the general election without much in the way of united opposition.
Weber, finally the first female President, also won a second term for herself in 2036. However, it was becoming clear that competition in the open election of 2040 would not come from within the increasingly fragile Democratic party, but from without...
