Mayor Pete

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

You forgot one thing, David Ige won’t be the Dem nominee in Hawaii. Colleen Hanabusa is the presumptive nominee.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MYAGyZlBY0

[America Needs R'hllor]

So, since I'm restarting this TL after quite a long time, there are a few changes I have to make due to events happening IRL:

1. Nate Boulton is no longer Iowa Governor in this TL. Instead, Cathy Glasson will be elected Governor in 2018, which means 2022 will see a different Democrat becoming Senator instead of her- U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer.
2. Due to his terrible reelection campaign, Governor Bruce Rauner will no longer be a 2024 Presidential candidate. He'll still be reelected, since my TL doesn't have to be 100% realistic, but he's much less popular and I'll add a 3rd party candidate (Chicago Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa) that makes his reelection more logical. Instead, Governor Larry Hogan (R-MD), who recently showed interest in the Presidency, will be his replacement as the "moderate option".
3. A minor change to the 2018 gubernatorial elections- Rep. Tim Walz will be elected Governor of Minnesota rather than Chris Coleman, lol.
4. A minor change in the 2022 gubernatorial elections- Mayor Kasim Reed is replaced by Stacey Abrams as the victorious Democratic nominee in Georgia, after she narrowly lost in 2018.

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[America Needs R'hllor]

Casey Cagle should be replaced by Brian Kemp.

I generally refain from making these changes as long as they aren't sorely needed. Boulton obviously needed to go, Coleman was a hilarious choice for GA-GOV, Abrams fits the narrative as a victor in 2022, and Rauner needed to be replaced in 2024 for future plot reasons. Cagle\Kemp isn't really relevant.

[libertpaulian]

Casey Cagle should be replaced by Brian Kemp.

I generally refain from making these changes as long as they aren't sorely needed. Boulton obviously needed to go, Coleman was a hilarious choice for GA-GOV, Abrams fits the narrative as a victor in 2022, and Rauner needed to be replaced in 2024 for future plot reasons. Cagle\Kemp isn't really relevant.

Cagle makes more sense, anyway.  Maybe his scandals catch up to him?

[P. Clodius Pulcher did nothing wrong]

[pops]

I absolutely love Buttigeig. If nothing else he should be the next VP.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Rand

Everything was ready for tomorrow. They had his speech, and he knew it by heart by now. The rally stage was ready in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and there were enough confirmed attendants to easily fill it. It was all ready for the announcement of his Presidential run, and most importantly, Rand was ready.

This time, he knew, he'd get it right. He wouldn't get lazy and overconfident like in 2016; he was in it to win it this time. He'd work hard and canvass through Iowa and New Hampshire, using his maverick appeal, his bold stands, his unique ideology and his coziness with Trump to consolidate the paleoconservatives, budget hawks, Trumpists  and many other Republicans. He'd champion liberty, privacy and low taxes, three things Republicans love. And he believed that he had the perfect opportunity, what with this year's Republican field.

Cotton and Haley were warmongers, and both would clearly crumble under pressure. While the former was a Trumpist, he'd probably collapse the moment a slight pressure is applied, while the latter became an anti-Trump politician in the past months, which makes her much less of a danger. Hawley was a paper tiger, Bevin was a religious extremist and Hogan a liberal, both appealing to only a small sector of Republicans. Pruitt would probably appeal to only a small base too, while Flake, Perry and Sasse, who was still pondering, were afterthoughts. Pence would be the only real problem- he was formidable in debates and stayed loyal to Trump. However, with Bevin, Pruitt, Cotton and Haley all biting off his bases, and with how Republicans looked for a new face, he could conceiveably collapse. The former Kentucky Senator was polling fourth, so it looked like he could become Pence's alternative, and from there... victory was at reach. Or at least he hoped so.

"Sir, let's go over your speech one more time, okay?" The speechwriter approached him, holding the well-used pieces of paper.

"Sure," Rand replied, an affirmative response he wouldn't have given back when he ran in 2016. He was much more disciplined now. He went over the text quickly again, already remembering most of the lines. "The part about individual liberties coming before the part about survelience... do you think we should keep it that way? Maybe switch them and let liberty be the final issue on the speech? It's a more powerful word, I think, it'd give a stronger message before I make the final statements."

The speechwriter scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I think you're actually right, Senator. I'm on it, you'll get the final version in a bit."

As he walked off, Rand Paul smiled to himself. He had a good feeling about it this time. He felt like this time, he's on the right route to succeed.

"Senator..." a staffer quickly approached him, looking disturbed. "I think you should see this..." She lead him to a backroom of their campaign office, where the TV screens were all opened on CNN, with headlines blaring, signaling something major going on.

Senator Paul read the words on the screens again and again, shocked. "Oh, come on. Seriously?"


DEFENCE SECRETARY JOHN KELLY SET TO ANNOUNCE PRESIDENTIAL BID THIS AFTERNOON

[P. Clodius Pulcher did nothing wrong]

Holy...

[P. Clodius Pulcher did nothing wrong]

JOHN KELLY SET TO ANNOUNCE JFK 2 THIS AFTERNOON

[America Needs R'hllor]

Mike

It was madness. For the past two weeks, all the media was talking about was John F. Kelly- the retired General, former Chief of Staff and current Defence Secretary running on a campaign of strong executive action and forceful reform. An American strongman if anyone ever saw one, and a much more competent one than Trump, and he was doing dangerously well. He had almost as much name recognition as Pence, after all, and had a surprising knack for sucking the media oxygen out of the air with controversies and so-called gaffes, while maintaining an image of a reasonable, competent statesman. It was a deadly combination.

And worse, a day after Kelly, Rand Paul announced his bid in a very combative speech, attacking Kelly as an authoritatian who wants to squash Americans' individual freedoms. Then Kelly responded that Paul was a do-nothing, posturing Senator, part of the corrupt congress that wasn't doing anything to help Americans, and so started the feud. They both ran hard against each other, each dubbing the other one as dangerous for America, and the media absolutely loved that. It put anything Mike was doing way out of the news cycle, and the rest of them suffered too, from Cotton and Hawley to Bevin and Pruitt. And Haley didn't even announce her bid yet, fearing it'd be swallowed by the Kelly vs Paul stories.

The Vice President had to keep himself in the news, and fast. Kelly was already leading him in the polls, despite the undecideds, and while many speculated that the General was simply a fad, Mike feared that he gave Trumpists a strongman to vote for, and that they'd rally behind him. And the race becoming a Kelly vs Paul affair would be disastrous. He had to do something to put out this fire.

"Karen, I think there's no choice." He approached the Second Lady, holding a draft of a speech written by his best man. "It's the only way to get us back into the right path."

The woman read it quickly and looked at him. Of course, she wasn't going to actually be part of the decision-making process, but he respected her views. "Are you sure this'll work, Mike? It's very negative..." She handed him back the speech.

"They say there's no other way." He held the piece of paper, with a speech full of Christian themes, appealing to the base and even hinting at opposition to same-sex marriage, as well as fierce attacks against Kelly for disloyalty to Trump and his restraining of the President, and, to a lesser extent, attacks against Paul too. He had to get negative and jump into the mud if he was to win, but there was another decision Mike had to make.

He quickly dialed Nick Ayers' phone number. "Mr. Vice President?" The voice on the other side answered after a few moments.

"Up our operation in Iowa as much as you can," he instructed quickly. "And withdraw everything from New Hampshire, leave only a shell operation. We need to bet everything on winning Iowa, it's the only way to stop Kelly or, God forbid, even Paul from snatching this."

Out of these candidates, who would you support in the Republican Presidential Primary?
Secretary John F. Kelly (R-MA)- 27%
Vice President Mike Pence (R-IN)- 24%
Fmr. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)- 12%
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR)- 7%
Fmr. Ambassador Nikki Haley (R-SC)- 5%
Fmr. Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD)- 4%
Senator Matt Bevin (R-KY)- 3%
Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO)- 3%
Fmr. Administrator Scott Pruitt (R-OK)- 2%
Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE)- 2%
Fmr. Senator Jeff Flake- 1%
Secretary Rick Perry (R-TX)- 0%
Other\Undecided- 10%

[Sir Mohamed]

Great TL!

[America Needs R'hllor]

Kyrsten

"So we need to keep resisting the corruption, resisting the obstruction of the most basic laws and values of our nation, resisting the attacks and discrimination against minorities, immigrants, women and LGBTQ Americans! But resisting won't be enough- it's time for us to move to the future, to push FORWARD! To expand healthcare coverage to all Americans, to usher in a humane and empathic immigration system, to finally end the War in Afghanistan and to legalize marijuanna and reform our broken, racist criminal justice system!"

Kyrsten Sinema grinned and beamed, basking in all the cheering and hooting coming from her Phoenix rally crowd. Behind her, she knew, Senators Ruben Gallego and Martin Heinrich, as well as Governor Greg Stanton, were standing and giving credibility to her Presidential announcement. "This is why I'm here today, to announce that I'm running for President! Let's all work together and bring in meaningful reform, noticeable results and real change with our strong experiece, bipartisan cooperation with those willing on the other side, and let's not forget, our boundless energy! Let's go forward!" She stepped down with a smile, shaking hands with the politicians behind her again before disappearing backstage.

Kyrsten Sinema was going to announce her Presidential bid weeks ago, but they stole her thunder. Kelly and Paul, at first; their feud was dominating way too many news cycles. Then Pence made a controversial speech and that blew out any chance she'd announce soon as well. And to make things worse, along with it were speculations about a Presidential campaign by Governor Cathy Glasson, popular and progressive, which dominated Iowa newspapers, and the continuous buzz about a possible Buttigieg campaign, one Senator Sinema hoped wouldn't happen.

But now it was time- she had announced her run, and damn them all, because she'll win. On paper, she had many advantages- a bisexual woman would definitely add diversity to the ticket; she was very popular in swing state Arizona; and finally, she had a feeling Cordray would prove a weak frontrunnet- and Kyrsten, unique and interesting as she was, thought that could take it away from him.

She had a fairly progressive record in the Senate but also a moderate image, so she could unite both wings of the party, and the rest of the candidaes all had major flaws that she could exploit to overcome them- Newsom was disliked by many progressives and seen as an elitist, Whitmer and Northam were just boring despite being very popular Governors, Booker and Hickenlooper were has-beens and Buttigieg... well, he was a strong candidate but just not all that well-known, and they didn't even know if he was going to announce yet. Finally, Cordray was boring and uncharismatic, so she thought that she could take him. If Glasson announced and won Iowa, it could even be adventagous to Kyrsten.

They just had to run a strong campaign and get good results in the early states- the computer screens in her campaign office were already filled with maps of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, trying to find a state where her brand and message would be the most appealing. So far, Nevada, close to her homestate, looked the most promising, followed by the maverick-loving New Hampshire and then Iowa. South Carolina didn't have much of a chance for them- Whitmer was doing much better with African Americans than Kyrsten, as were Booker, Newsom and, to a lesser extent, Cordray.

So they were going to concentrate on New Hampshire and Nevada, and keep some operation in Iowa and South Carolina. Super Tuesday would pose a problem, but what was for sure, was that Sinema would fight to do well in the early states and then, stay at least until Arizona and hopefully win it all.

And damn all the polls saying otherwise.

Out of these candidates, who would you support in the Democratic Presidential Primary?
Governor Richard Cordray (D-OH)- 31%
Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA)- 14%
Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI)- 10%
Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ)- 8%
Fmr. Gov. Ralph Northam (D-VA)- 8%
Governor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)- 5%
Governor Cathy Glasson (D-IA)- 4%
Senator John Hickenlooper- 3%
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ)- 3%
U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)- 2%
Governor Lincoln Chafee (D-RI)- 1%
Other\Undecided- 11%

[America Needs R'hllor]

Pete

"People of South Bend, I'm here to recruit you!" Pete's voice boomed over the rally crowd that filled the area around the South Bend stage. "This is a line famously used by Harvey Milk, who was the first openly LGBTQ politician elected to office in California's history. He was a visionary, a man who carved a path for the rest of us. Since his murder by am assassin's bullet, we've made great progress in America- not just when it comes to LGBTQ rights, but also when it comes to civil rights, to healthcare, to making our society free, fair and inclusive for all. But there is still a tremendous work to be done. And in the past eight years, we've been ruled by an administration that constantly targeted racial minorities; that tried to stop transsexuals from serving their country in the military; that passed an unfair and regressive tax code that benefits the rich and leaves working Americans behind; that tried, again and again, to take away healthcare coverage from millions of Americans and force them to pay an unafforable sum for this crucial service; an administration that constantly lied to the American people."

The Governor made a pause to take a breath, and continued, his voice as confident as he could make it. "But let's not just talk about the failures of this administration. It hampered progress on the issues that matter, but it is the issues that matter we should be talking about; how we achieve results for the American people. My friends and colleagues running for President on the Democratic side, who I like and respect, are making this mistake- talking about Trump and his failures, talking about Russia. Russia is important. We should talk about it, call Trump out about the involvement of so many family members and associates in this that implicates him, too. But we should be talking more about the issues, healthcare and immigration and taxes and the environment and so many more, talking about how we get results."

"I believe, that I've demonstrated my ability to get results." He continued his speech. "As Mayor of this amazing city, I've worked hard with its hardworking and wonderful residents to completely turn it around, from a declining place quickly losing jobs to a prospering city, with youths pouring in to live here with many new opportunities opened up to them. Since I was elected Governor of Indiana four years ago, I've worked with its Republican legislature to the best of my ability, doing everything I can to improve the life of my fellow Hoosiers, expanding healthcare coverage for thousands, passing a bill that increased spending on infaustracture and fixed many of our broken roads and bridges, ensuring protections in housing and employment for LGBTQ Hoosiers, increasing spending on job training programs for those whose factories closed due to automation, and much more."

It was time for the words everyone expected. "So this is why today, in the city I was born and raised in, both as a person and as a public servant, I'm officially announcing that I'm running for President! Let's work together and bring this success nationwide- give all Americans free, quality healthcare, finally fix our infaustracture, move away from ineffective, polluting energy sources and lead the way on alternative, clean sources that keep our nation energy-independent and create many good quality jobs, reform our immigration and criminal justice systems to make them much more humane, and enshrine protections for LGBTQ individuals in our constitution, because the time has come for this change, and it's time for America to be that shining city on the hill again, just like South Bend! Join me, and let's start this journey!"

As the crowd's massive cheering overwhelmed him, Governor Buttigieg overlooked the many faces looking up at him. There were men and women, young and old, white and black, and in all of their eyes he could see enthusiasm. At that moment, Mayor Pete was glad he took the decision to run for President. He thought about it long and hard, mulling and leaning to both sides. Politicians like Joe Donnelly and Jason Kander were urging him to take the plunge, as did hundreds of constituents sending mail to his office. But on the other hand, he found it hard to believe that a mostly-unknown Governor of Indiana could win a primary over stars like Sinema, Newsom and, of course, Cordray, and he didn't want his family to suffer the heat of the campaign. But in the end, he decided that it was a chance he couldn't miss- a chance for bringing real change and leaving a positive mark on America, as well as making millions of youths around the world who suffer from homophobia understand that their life is worth living.

And since he was in it, he might as well do his best to win it. The strategy he and his team crafted relied on grassroots enthusiasm- he would use his unique image and his experience to excite the base and rise over the other candidates and challenge Cordray, the frontrunner. And if he could win Iowa, on which much of his campaign focused, he could strike a very strong blow to Rich and propel himself to the status of frontrunner. If everything worked out, they could elect the first openly gay President of the United States in November 2024.

[libertpaulian]

Buttigieg/Kander 2024!!!!

[America Needs R'hllor]

Nikki

After many delays caused by annoying circumstances, it was finally time for Nikki Haley to announce her Presidential campaign. For the past years, her strategy changed a lot but her final purpose was the same- she wanted to be the first woman President. At first she wanted to run as a conservative with star power, a unique background and experience in the UN popular with Republicans, not blatantly Trumpist but also friendly enough the the President she served under to appease the base. But after she was left out of the administration following the 2020 election, it was time to take a different angle- the Trump administration was increasingly unpopular, so she started criticizing it, hoping to gain support from all Republicans who dislike the Preisdent but also appealing to the rest with her conservative credentials, especially from her time in the UN. She was still very popular with mainstream conservatives, who loved her persona and foreign policy, and hoped it could avail her.

But the recent events put her candidacy in jeopardy. The 2016 GOP primaries showed that whoever managed to get the most media attention would do well, and so far, only three men were garnering most of the attention- Kelly and Paul with their feud, and Pence who had a strong platform to make his points and sparked more and more controversies. Being, most likely, the last Republican candidate to announce, Nikki hoped this would be enough to get her the necessary attention. Also, she planned to attack all three frontrunners- Kelly for his failed tenure as Chief of Staff and his authoritarianism, Paul for his disregard for American security interests, and Pence for his weakness as Vice President. This would probably help her, too. As for the others, she didn't see them as a threat- Cotton was too hawkish, even for her, and a paper tigger; and the rest couldn't attract anything beyond a narrow ideological scope in the modern Republican Party.

And, of course, there was the issue of New Hampshire- she planned to campaign in Iowa and New Hampshire and try to do decently there, maybe even win one of them if she catches fire there, but ultimately, she could be comfortable knowing that she almost certainly had one of the early states locked up. Still, she needed to keep an eye on that.

Her thoughts were interrupted by familiar words on the stage above. "And so I am honoured," Senator Tim Scott told the crowd, "to welcome the next President of the United States, Nikki Haley!"

She walked up to the stage, smiling, and embraced Tim before approaching the podium and overlooking the crowd below. "Thank you for being here, Columbia!"

Out of these candidates, who would you support in the Republican Presidential Primary?
Secretary John F. Kelly (R-MA)- 26%
Vice President Mike Pence (R-IN)- 25%
Fmr. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)- 14%
Fmr. Ambassador Nikki Haley (R-SC)- 6%
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR)- 4%
Fmr. Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD)- 4%
Senator Matt Bevin (R-KY)- 3%
Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE)- 2%
Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO)- 2%
Fmr. Administrator Scott Pruitt (R-OK)- 2%
Fmr. Senator Jeff Flake- 1%
Secretary Rick Perry (R-TX)- 0%
Other\Undecided- 11%

[libertpaulian]

This is going to be great.  For some reason, I hope Pence is the one who faces Mayor Pete.  That way, the front headlines of every newspaper on the morning after Election Day can read

THE HOMO DEFEATS THE HOMOPHOBE

It would be the ultimate poetic justice.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Cathy

Cathy Glasson had a choice to make.

She could potentially become the next President of the United States- if she ran, she had a very good chance of winning Iowa, and then, after locking up the labour vote and many progressives, she could very conceiveably have a path to the nomination. She could basically kill the campaigns of Cordray and Buttigieg, who put a lot of weight on Iowa, and that would let her become the sole progressive candidate- if you combine Warren's and Merkley's 2020 voters with many of Gillibrand's and Harris', it puts together a coalition very likely to buoy her to the nomination. She was also in her second and last term as Governor- expiring in 2027- so she felt ready to seek some other role for the future. And when she potentially won the Presidency, she could usher in a lot of positive changes and potentially bring back labour as a major force.

But there were two things that stopped her from going for it. First, she didn't even know if she wanted to be President. Sure, she had a shot, but did she really want a gruelling primary and even worse general election, facing the Republican Party's smear machine? Did she want all the pressure and international crises of being President? Sure, she wanted to have influence on people's lives and wellness, but being President was more than that, and Cathy wasn't sure she was cut out for that. Then there was the other issue- sure, she could win Iowa, but it didn't guarantee her victory in the primary, and another possibility could be that other candidates keep their support, and they could face a contested convention. After all, that was what happened after Tim Kaine won Iowa, and if she jumped in, it could only increase the chances of such a contested convention again.

And she had to make the choice quickly- time was running out, and basically anyone with a name who could run already announced their decisions. A hour later, after more consideration, she was finally ready to call her aid and announce her decision. No, she decided, it wasn't worth the risk. She wasn't cut out from the cloth that a Presidential campaign would demand, it was better to help another candidate win, someone who could prevent a convention. On the paper, Cordray was perfect- a labour advocate from another midwestern state. But he was too boring, a familiar face, even... uninspiring. There was another candidate who interested her, Governor Pete Buttigieg of the neighbouring Indiana, but he was polling too low right now. She had to see what happened over the next weeks.

The aide was finally there. "What is it, Governor?"

"Tell the press," she instructed him, "I'm not running for President. They can stop including me in their silly polls."

Democratic Primary Polling- National
Governor Richard Cordray (D-OH)- 29%
Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA)- 12%
Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI)- 9%
Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ)- 9%
Fmr. Gov. Ralph Northam (D-VA)- 8%
Governor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)- 6%
Senator John Hickenlooper- 6%
Governor Cathy Glasson (D-IA)- 5%
U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)- 3%
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ)- 3%
Governor Lincoln Chafee (D-RI)- 1%
Other\Undecided- 9%

Democratic Primary Polling- Iowa Caucuses
Governor Cathy Glasson (D-IA)- 36%
Governor Richard Cordray (D-OH)- 19%
Governor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)- 9%
Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI)- 7%
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ)- 4%
Fmr. Gov. Ralph Northam (D-VA)- 4%
Senator John Hickenlooper- 4%
Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA)- 3%
U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)- 1%
Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ)- 1%
Governor Lincoln Chafee (D-RI)- 0%
Other\Undecided- 12%

[Politician]

#Chafeementum

[America Needs R'hllor]

Kirsten

"No," Kirsten Gillibrand laughed, causing a chorus of 'awww' from the audience, "I'm not running for President, period."

This was what she told, and had to keep telling, the media and many Democratic activists and politicians. Of course, if she entered the race she'd be an instant frontrunner, especially after her narrow loss to Trump, winning the popular vote. Still, she was aware that she'd open herself and her family up to more attacks from the right and left- Democrats would chide her for losing to an unpopular President like Trump, and Republicans would continue their usual sexist attacks on her. No, she didn't want to go through that again.

"Is that because you want to uphold the Democratic tradition of messy primaries?" Colbert asked to the sound of laughter. "You know, let them fight it off. The best gladiator will emerge all bloodied up to face whoever the Republicans put up, just like in 2020."

"Obviously, if I stepped in I'd ruin the fun," she replied with a smile. "But seriously, Democrats need a fresh face. Someone who wasn't a Presidential nominee in the past, and can bring new ideas. I feel like this year, we truly have a slate of wonderful candidates who can provide this fresh face and bold leadership."

"Well," Colbert caught the new subject, "let's talk about this slate, then. Your endorsement, of course is coveted..."

Of course, she expected that question. Her endorsement was craved by many- she was still very popular in the base, and had a near-universal name recognition that could significantly boost one of the candidates. Unsurprisingly, many politicians and people in Cordray's campaign expected her to endorse her former running mate and were pushing in that direction, but she didn't really feel comfortable endorsing him this early with two very qualified and impressive women runnin in the top 5, and then there was Mayor Pete, as they started calling him everywhere, who was definitely intriguing with his charisma and unique background, and seemed to be gaining momentum. So she didn't feel ready to endorse, and had to be careful with her answer. "Well," she said, "obviously I'd like to contribute my voice to the conversation and participate in the debate. This is what democracy is about. But right now it's so early, and there are so many great candidates running... Rich is an amazing person who fights for the American worker and was a fantastic running mate, Gretchen and Kyrsten are two strong and immensely qualified women who I adore, John and Cory and Ralph and Gavin are all great candidates with a very strong record and significant experience who I'd definitely trust my country with. So there's really no candidate I can say is definitely better than the others right now."

After several more exchanges and jokes, their time came to an end. "Well, thank you very much fo being here," Stephen said, "let's give it to Kirsten Gillibrand, Senator from New York and 2020 Democratic Presidential nominee!"

She went backstage to the sound of cheering, waving and smiling to the audience. Sure, she wasn't running for President, but she still had to keep her voice in the conversation. It's not like she didn't have any other political ambitions- maybe a high place in the Democratic Senate leadership, or a high-profile position in a future Democratic administration.

So she was planning to make an endorsement in the primary, hoping she'd bet on the right horse. Just not yet- she still had to examine the candidates and how they do.

On one of the screens, MSNBC was playing. They were giving a summary of all the Presidential announcements up until now, as if they were trying to help her make a decision, or help some unknown invisible force summarize the candidates to its readers.


March 19th, 2023: Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announces Presidential bid, becoming first serious candidate to do so and kicking off the campaign season


March 22nd, 2023: Former Texas Governor and Energy Secretary Rick Perry announces a longshot run for President, becoming the first Republican to enter the race


March 29th, 2023: Former Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, a frequent Trump critic, announces Presidential campaign


April 3rd, 2023: Cory Booker, Democratic Senator from New Jersey and 2020 Presidential candidate, declares 2nd White House bid


April 5th, 2023: Tulsi Gabbard, a controversial Hawaii U.S. Rep., announces quixotic second Presidential campaign


April 8th, 2023: Rising Republican star Tom Cotton, Senator from Arkansas, announces Presidential bid and begins as one of the frontrunners


April 14th, 2023: Popular former Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announces Presidential campaign as moderate in the mold of Tim Kaine


April 17th, 2023: Democratic 2020 Vice Presidential candidate and Ohio Governor Richard Cordray joins the fray, becoming instant frontrunner for Democratic nomination


April 24th, 2023: Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a moderate Republican, launches Presidential campaign with appeal to independents and claims of electability


May 2nd, 2023: Josh Hawley, freshman Senator from Missouri, announces White House bid, trying to tout himself as 'fresh face'


May 6th, 2023: After an amazing political comeback, Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee mounts another longshot Presidential campaign


May 6th, 2023: Controversial former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announces anti-establishment, far right Presidential bid focused on anti-environmentalism and appeal to rust belt


May 14th, 2023: Former Governor and current Senator from Kentucky, Matt Bevin, declares Presidential campaign with appeal to Christian right and Trumpists


May 18th, 2023: Vice President Mike Pence, Republican frontrunner, finally announces Presidential campaign with hopes to appeal to all parts of the party's base


May 22nd, 2023: California Governor Gavin Newsom announces widely-expected Presidential campaign, immediately becoming establishment favourite


June 3rd, 2023: Former White House Chief of Staff and Defence Secretary John F. Kelly announces surprise Presidential bid, promising strong leadership


June 4th, 2023: Attacking Kelly for being anti-liberty and starting a weeks-long feud, former Senator Rand Paul announces second Presidential campaign despite 2022 Senate loss


June 18th, 2023: Kyrsten Sinema, popular freshwoman Arizona Senator, announces Presidential run with appeal to many parts of electorate


June 29th, 2023: Despite falling poll numbers, anti-Trump conservative Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse announces Presidential campaign


July 7th, 2023: Indiana Governor Pete Buttigieg announces Presidential campaign, drawing large crowds with strong progressive messege and unique background


July 15th, 2023: Former South Carolina Governor and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley finally annpunces Presidential campaign, trying to get support from both conservatives and anti-Trump Republicans


July 26th, 2023: John Hickenlooper, realtively moderate Democrat, announces White House bid with a wide protfolio of experience as former Colorado Governor and current Senator

[America Needs R'hllor]

John

The former Marine Corps General overlooked his campaign's new signs. Genral Kelly- strong leadership for a strong nation. It featured a picture of him with a military uniform, drawing attention to his military service rather than his connection for Trump.

They tried to frame him as a new Eisenhower- a strong, capable leader who'll be able to lead the nation back to stability and prosperity. But obviously, on politics, Kelly was no Eisenhower- he ran a campaign with mainline Republican positions on economical issues, as well as a particularly hardline view on immigration. He touted his tenures as Secretary of Homeland Security, Chief of Staff and Secretary of Defence as proofs that he can bring order, get the job done and protect the country. And, he centered much of his messeging on something he truly believed in- the fact that congress was a bunch of do-nothing, lazy fools who did no good for America.

So he attacked congress, and all of that definitely didn't endear him to the media. And that meant more and more coverage, most of it negative, but still earning him a ton of attention. He disliked all that attention, but had to embrace it if he was to win. Then there was Paul- or how he mockingly referred to him, "junior", who tried to attack him for stupid, outdated concept such as liberty, ignoring the fact that by keeping America safe and strong, John would bring liberty to everyone. They attacked each other continuesly, making even more media waves, and in an attempt to save himself Pence jumped in with a right-wing assault, calling both of them "no true conservatives" and heavily courting the Tea Party base and the Christian Right. John could see right through this man's play, but the American people evidently couldn't, so he surged back up in the polls, making it a tight race for the top spot with Kelly, and leading in Iowa. It was definitely an annoyance- John hoped to swoop the primaries without having to deal with these pests too much.

Still, his messege was resounding. No one liked congress- they had atrocious approvals for a reason- and the negative attention from the "elitist media" endeared him to the base. He hoped that he could get rid of Pence soon enough, because the others were no threat- Paul certainly wasn't, Cotton was a lightweight typical congresscritter, and Haley was almost as bad as him. The rest were flies- even ones who looked like a threat early on, like Hawley, Bevin and Pruitt, got most of their votes sucked by Kelly and Pence.

So it was John against Mike, and the General was going to win. And then he could turn his attention to whichever raging, open-borders liberal the Democrats nominated. Hopefully someone like Newsom and Booker, he thought, but Cordray or the women or the gay one would be fine as well. Secretary Kelly knew he could make any of them look weak with the right campaign. "Secratary," an aide approached, his eyes down as he held a bunch of papers. "Here are the latest polls. Also some for early states." John F. Kelly grabbed the papers and took a look. It seemed dangerous, but still promising.

Republican Primary Polling- National
Secretary John F. Kelly (R-MA)- 25%
Vice President Mike Pence (R-IN)- 24%
Fmr. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)- 11%
Fmr. Ambassador Nikki Haley (R-SC)- 8%
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR)- 6%
Fmr. Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD)- 4%
Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO)- 3%
Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE)- 3%
Senator Matt Bevin (R-KY)- 3%
Fmr. Administrator Scott Pruitt (R-OK)- 2%
Fmr. Senator Jeff Flake- 1%
Secretary Rick Perry (R-TX)- 0%
Other\Undecided- 10%

Republican Primary Polling- Iowa Caucuses
Vice President Mike Pence (R-IN)- 28%
Fmr. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)- 19%
Secretary John F. Kelly (R-MA)- 12%
Senator Matt Bevin (R-KY)- 9%
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR)- 5%
Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO)- 4%
Fmr. Ambassador Nikki Haley (R-SC)- 4%
Fmr. Administrator Scott Pruitt (R-OK)- 3%
Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE)- 3%
Fmr. Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD)- 1%
Secretary Rick Perry (R-TX)- 0%
Fmr. Senator Jeff Flake- 0%
Other\Undecided- 12%

Republican Primary Polling- New Hampshire Primary
Secretary John F. Kelly (R-MA)- 21%
Vice President Mike Pence (R-IN)- 19%
Fmr. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)- 18%
Fmr. Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD)- 11%
Fmr. Ambassador Nikki Haley (R-SC)- 9%
Fmr. Senator Jeff Flake- 4%
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR)- 3%
Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO)- 2%
Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE)- 2%
Fmr. Administrator Scott Pruitt (R-OK)- 1%
Senator Matt Bevin (R-KY)- 1%
Secretary Rick Perry (R-TX)- 0%
Other\Undecided- 9%

Republican Primary Polling- South Carolina Primary
Fmr. Ambassador Nikki Haley (R-SC)- 30%
Secretary John F. Kelly (R-MA)- 19%
Vice President Mike Pence (R-IN)- 12%
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR)- 10%
Fmr. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)- 6%
Senator Matt Bevin (R-KY)- 4%
Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO)- 3%
Fmr. Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD)- 2%
Fmr. Administrator Scott Pruitt (R-OK)- 2%
Secretary Rick Perry (R-TX)- 1%
Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE)- 1%
Fmr. Senator Jeff Flake- 0%
Other\Undecided- 10%

Republican Primary Polling- Nevada Caucuses
Fmr. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)- 23%
Vice President Mike Pence (R-IN)- 22%
Secretary John F. Kelly (R-MA)- 15%
Fmr. Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD)- 7%
Fmr. Ambassador Nikki Haley (R-SC)- 6%
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR)- 5%
Fmr. Senator Jeff Flake- 3%
Fmr. Administrator Scott Pruitt (R-OK)- 2%
Senator Matt Bevin (R-KY)- 2%
Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE)- 1%
Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO)- 1%
Secretary Rick Perry (R-TX)- 0%
Other\Undecided- 13%

[Cold War Liberal]

Go Pete and Hogan

[America Needs R'hllor]

Ralph

"And so, I hope you will join me in bringing back sensible, reform-minded leadership for America, that fights for the people's interests like I did as Governor and that, instead of just shouting slogans, truly works for the American people! Thank you, Des Moines!" The former Governor of Virginia smiled and waved to the cheering audience before leaving the podium.

As he left, Senator Kaine went up to the stage and after they exchanged pleasantries, Tim went to the podium to make his speech endorsing Ralph. It was his first big endorsement, and from the candidate who won Iowa back in 2020 no less.

As Ralph sat on the chair and watched Tim talk about both of their successful tenures as Governors of Virginia, he contemplated the state of his campaign. He was polling fairly high, near the top of the pack, and was generally popular, with a strong record to tout. But something still didn't feel right- his numbers were lounging in the high single digits, sometimes low single digits, with Whitmer Sinema and, recently, Mayor Pete, always close to him, from ahead or behind. No matter how good were his ads, it just looked like they couldn't get a breakthrough, and it was frustrating. At the same time, Cordray kept leading, with only Newsom proving a relatively strong opposition in polling thus far. He had to hope that the Kaine endorsement will, at least, give him some boost, especially in states like Iowa and South Carolina that his fellow Virginian won.

In any case, there was a lot of work to do, but even if he didn't win the nomination... he hoped to do well enough, because someone like Whitmer and Sinema, or even Cordray, could choose him for running mate.

"So this is why I'm asking all of you to join me in supporting Governor Northam!" Tim Kaine was finishing his speech. "For our country, our children, our future! Let's help bring real change!"

To a round of applause, Tim left the stage, followed by Ralph. "Thanks, Senator," he told the former Vice Presidential nominee, "that's very appreciated."

"No problem, it's only natural I'd be supporting you." Tim smiled. "I hope this helps your campaign rise up. Anyway, there was something I wanted to talk to you about. You know I'm up for reelection this year, but I'm thinking about..."

"Sirs," an aide approached them, interrupting Kaine, "sorry for the interruption, but you told me to approach you immediately when I get the new polling." He held out a bunch of papers. "Here it is. And there's also a list tracking each candidate's endorsement, like you requested."

Democratic Primary Polling- National
Governor Richard Cordray (D-OH)- 31%
Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA)- 14%
Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ)- 10%
Fmr. Gov. Ralph Northam (D-VA)- 9%
Governor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)- 9%
Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI)- 9%
Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO)- 5%
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ)- 3%
U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)- 2%
Governor Lincoln Chafee (D-RI)- 0%
Other\Undecided- 8%

Democratic Primary Polling- Iowa Caucuses
Governor Richard Cordray (D-OH)- 41%
Governor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)- 14%
Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI)- 11%
Fmr. Gov. Ralph Northam (D-VA)- 9%
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ)- 5%
Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO)- 5%
Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ)- 2%
Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA)- 2%
U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)- 1%
Governor Lincoln Chafee (D-RI)- 0%
Other\Undecided- 10%

Democratic Primary Polling- New Hampshire Primary
Governor Richard Cordray (D-OH)- 23%
Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA)- 19%
Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ)- 15%
Governor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)- 10%
Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI)- 7%
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ)- 4%
U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)- 4%
Governor Lincoln Chafee (D-RI)- 3%
Fmr. Gov. Ralph Northam (D-VA)- 2%
Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO)- 2%
Other\Undecided- 11%

Democratic Primary Polling- Nevada Caucuses
Governor Richard Cordray (D-OH)- 43%
Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ)- 14%
Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA)- 11%
Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO)- 11%
Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI)- 5%
Fmr. Gov. Ralph Northam (D-VA)- 3%
Governor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)- 3%
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ)- 1%
U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)- 0%
Governor Lincoln Chafee (D-RI)- 0%
Other\Undecided- 9%

Democratic Primary Polling- South Carolina Primary
Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA)- 20%
Fmr. Gov. Ralph Northam (D-VA)- 18%
Governor Richard Cordray (D-OH)- 16%
Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI)- 13%
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ)- 12%
Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ)- 6%
Governor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)- 6%
U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)- 1%
Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO)- 1%
Governor Lincoln Chafee (D-RI)- 0%
Other\Undecided- 7%

2024 Democratic Primary- ENDORSEMENT TRACKER

Governor Richard Cordray
Senator Betty Sutton (D-OH)
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Fmr. Gov. Tom Vilsack (D-IA)
Fmr. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Senator Abby Finkenauer (D-IA)
Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
Governor Chris Giunchigliani (D-NV)
Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Fmr. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI)
Governor Gwen Graham (D-FL)
Governor Arne Duncan (D-IL)
Senator Cheri Bustos (D-IL)
Governor Janet Mills (D-ME)
Governor Phil Murphy (D-NJ)
Fmr. Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NY)
Governor Kate Brown (D-OR)
AFL-CIO
The entire Ohio Democratic U.S. House delegation

Governor Gavin Newsom
Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Fmr. Gov. Jerry Brown (D-CA)
Mayor Eric Garcetti (D-CA)
Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH)
Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY)
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro (D-TX)
Ms. Chelsea Clinton (D-NY)
Most of the California Democratic U.S. House delegation

Senator Kyrsten Sinema
Governor Greg Stanton (D-AZ)
Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ)
Govenror Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM)
Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM)
Senator Jenny Durkan (D-WA)
EMILY's List (co-endorsement)
The entire Arizona Democratic U.S. House delegation

Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Senator Gary Peters (D-MI)
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Fmr. Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D-MI)
Senator Tina Smith (D-MN)
EMILY's List (co-endorsement)
The entire Michigan Democratic U.S. House delegation

Fmr. Governor Ralph Northam
Governor Justin Fairfax (D-VA)
Fmr. Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D-VA)
Senator Mark Warner (D-VA)
Senator Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO)
Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA)
The entire Virginia Democratic U.S. House delegation

Governor Pete Buttigieg
Governor Jason Kander (D-MO)
Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN)
Fmr. Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Governor Josh Svaty (D-KS)
Senator Andy Beshear (D-KY)
Senator Stephanie Murphy (D-FL)
LGBTQ Victory Fund
The entire Indiana Democratic U.S. House delegation

Senator John Hickenlooper
Senator Michael Bennett (D-CO)
Fmr. Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO)
Senator Tom Udall (D-NM)
U.S. Rep. Ben McAdams (D-UT)
U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA)
The entire Colorado Democratic U.S. House delegation

Senator Cory Booker
Senator Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
Fmr. Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-MD)
The entire New Jersey Democratic U.S. House delegation

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard
U.S. Rep. Ed Case (D-HI)
Ms. Linda Sarsour (D-NY)
Mr. Cenk Uygur (D-CA)
Justice Democrats

Governor Lincoln Chafee
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI)
No Labels

Noteable figures who did not yet endorse
Fmr. President Barack Obama (D-IL)
Fmr. President Bill Clinton (D-AR)
Fmr. Vice President Joe Biden (D-DE)
Fmr. Sec. of State Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Governor Cathy Glasson (D-IA)
Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Governor Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Governor Jared Polis (D-CO)
Senator Joe Kennedy III (D-MA)

[libertpaulian]

Polis WILL be endorsing Pete...right?  I mean, for obvious reasons...

[America Needs R'hllor]

Polis WILL be endorsing Pete...right?  I mean, for obvious reasons...

He can't do that right now due to the presence of Senator Hickenlooper, who at this point is THE Colorado politician (two terms as Governor, now Senator and Presidential candidate). But without Pete, it's safe to say he would easily endorse Hickenlooper, so this does have influence.

[libertpaulian]

Polis WILL be endorsing Pete...right?  I mean, for obvious reasons...

He can't do that right now due to the presence of Senator Hickenlooper, who at this point is THE Colorado politician (two terms as Governor, now Senator and Presidential candidate). But without Pete, it's safe to say he would easily endorse Hickenlooper, so this does have influence.

The Hickenlooper factor is understandable.  I'm kinda liking this TL, though!  I definitely see a future President in Mayor Pete.

If Abrams and Gillum manage to win this year (real life, not this timeline haha), I could see Mayor Pete going for IN-GOV in 2020.