2064 US Presidential Election

The 2064 Presidential Election was the 68th Presidential Election in US history as well as the closest since the 2032 Election. For the first time since 2020, four major parties had candidates on the ballot. These were the Democratic Party, the Libertarian Party, the Conservative Party, and the Independence Party.

The Election occured in the middle of incumbent President Horatio Sinclair's term. President Sinclair had been elected with a historic margin in the electoral college in 2060, but threatening war with the Bizzaristanian Regime and a bad economy gave his challengers an edge against him. The leading candidate against Sinclair was the Democratic Nominee, Clara Caall, who eventually upset Sinclair to become the 54th President of the United States.

Primaries
Democratic Party

In 2063, former Secretary of State Clara Caal declared her candidacy for President, two days after Bobby Mantua, the party favorite, did the same. A heated primary between Caal and Mantua ensued in 2064, in which Caal won by 13 votes. At the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Caal selected Senator Phillip Schuller as her running mate.

Libertarian Party

The Libertarian Party, energized by Congressional gains in the 2062 midterms, nominated Senator John Adams McClain as their nominee. McClain was contested in the primaries by Governor Abigail Richards of New Jersey, but Richards was unable to gather significant support and McClain gained the nomination. Congresswoman Amanda Wood of Arizona was quickly picked as McClain's running mate.

Conservative Party

In 2063, President Sinclair announced his intention to seek a second term. He was not contested in the primaries and was unanimously renominated. However, to please changing demographics, he nominated Fredrick Cho for Vice President, dropping sitting Vice President Maggie Gorges.

Independence Party

The Independence Party had formed during the midterm elections of 2062 as a branch of the Conservative Party, and in 2064 they nominated Andy Holmes for President and Robert Snow for Vice President. The Independence Party did not hold a primary, instead nominating their candidate at their national convention in Logansport.

General Election
In the General Election, President Sinclair initially appeared ahead, although in the first debate Caal and McClain cut significantly into his lead. Following the debate, Wall Street crashed and the GDP plundged 20%. Sinclair initiated a disastrous stimulus plan that caused the public to loosed faith in him, and both Caal and McClain capitalized on this advantage. In the second debate, Sinclair was almost a side candidate, as Caal and McClain battled it out on issues of foreign policy and the economy. Post debate polls showed McClain with a slight edge, although he had not secured the all-important swing state of Utah.

Caal immediately began a heavy campaign in Utah and the other swing states, lambasting McClain as a tool of Sinclair whose policies would throw the nation deeper into debt. McClain's campaign was further hindered by his connection to President Sinclair, who he had endorsed in the 2060 election and who had named him as his running mate during Sinclair's run for Governor of Massachusetts in 2032. By the third debate, McClain was neck and neck with Caal, trailed by Sinclair and Andy Holmes. President Sinclair made a brief rise in the polls in the third debate by casting himself as a moderate candidate, but the day after the Bizzarian Regime blew up a US Aircraft Carrier in the Red Sea. Sinclair did not make a public statement regarding the attack for a week, damaging his leadership abilities in the eyes of the people. Caal made a last attack on Sinclair in the days before the election branding him as inept to handle the escalating foreign scene, calling out her own time as Secretary of State as evidence of her own experience. A last-minute endorsement by Senator Tom Merrymen, a former chairman of the Conservative Party, turned the race solidly toward Caal.

Results
On election day, various election polls reported that Caal and McClain had tied, and some reported that both had been surpassed by Holmes. When the results began coming in, the intially favored Sinclair, who picked up 68 electoral votes early on. As the night went on, however, Sinclair was gradually surpassed by Caal, who maintained a slim lead over McClain. The race remained too close to call until the last state, Guam, came in, handing the election to Caal.