2088 US Presidential Election

The 2088 Presidential Election was the 74th quadrennial election in U.S. History. It was also the first election following the admittance of Canada into the Union, leading to a large swell in the electoral college from 590 votes to 882 votes.

The Incumbent President, Marco Juarez, enjoyed significant support from the public, particularily for his brokering of the Canada-America Coalition Act, which incorporated Canada as a United States Commonwealth. Juarez was also supported for his revival of the Second Rennaisance, which led to a new era of American entrepeneurship and growth. During this time, the colonies on Mars and other planets grew and technology advanced rapidly.

The election also saw the emergence of the New Union Party, formed by a coalition of Canadian politicians upon the incorporation of Canada into the United States. It was primarily a Canadian party, although it did have some popularity in states such as Wisconsin and Vermont.

Democratic Party
Juarez announced that he would seek a second term in February of 2087 and was unchallenged in the Democratic Primary. At the National Convention in Quebec, Johanas Casey was renominated for Vice President.

Libertarian Party
The Libertarian Party, eager to reclaim the White House after their loss in the 2084 election, underwent a harrowing primary in 2088. Several party leaders, including John Malsburry, who had been Chief of Staff during President Ralph Walderman's term, and Sarah Perry, a Senator from Wisconsin. Originally, Malsburry appeared to be in the lead, but in the Quebec primaries he was outstripped by Grace Jennings, the Governor of Utah. Jennings was feircely contested by Coahuilan Congresswoman Alondra Estadas. Estadas eventually secured the nomination, and selected Jacob Hernandez as her running mate.

American Party
The Amercan Party nominated Frederick Cho for President at their Convention, but he declined due to his advancing age. The American Party had nominated Cho as their candidate since their inception in 2072, and were not able to agree on a candidate upon his departure. As a result, the American Party disolved.

New Union Party
The New Union Party was a party formed upon Canda's incorporation into the United States. It was essentially a reincarnation of Canada's liberal party before joining the United States. The party was based primarily in what had been (and was still refered to as) Canada, and worked largely in cohesion with the Democratic Party. Nevertheless, the New Union Party did nominate a candidate for the 2088 election. At their Convention in Ontario, Ronald Harper, the Governor of Northern Canada, was nominated for President, and Jennifer Fulune for Vice President.

Canadian Conservative Party
Like the New Union Party, the Canadian Conservative Party was a reincarnation of Canada's conservtaive organization preceding its incorporation into the U.S. It operated at a state level and, unlike the New Union Party, did not reach national prominence. By 2094, it had become a wing of the Libertarian Party.

In the 2088 election the Canadian Conservative Party nominated Simon Redding for President, mostly for show, as they had very little intention of claiming the White House. In fact, Redding simultaneously ran for the Western Territory's Senate Seat, which he won.

General Election
In the General Election, Juarez was highly favored for relection and enjoyed strong support from most of the nation, including the new states from Canada. In the first and second debates, he effectively tied up Estadas, who nevertheless maintained the support of 45% of the electorate. By the third debate, it had become clear that Juarez was headed for a second term, although Estadas and Harper hung on tight behind him.

The main issue in the election was how to continue the growth begun in Juarez' first term. Estadas favored turning the many government research and developement programs over to private companies, while Juarez and Harper favored keeping them public in order to ensure their motive was progress, not profit. With the addition of Canada, this view was much more popular, although Estadas approach was favored by much of the south-west.

Results
The election was essentially an easy win for Juarez. He coasted into a second term with the support of 50% of the electorate, remarkable for a four-way race, including four of the Canadian states. Estadas nevertheless remained a prominent figure in American politicis, and became the Senate minority leader after the 2090 midterms.

The New Union Party gained 13% of the vote, nearly all of it from Canada. Despite this dismal show in the Presidential election, they were much more sucessful in Congress, where they gained six of the 14 available Senate seats.