Stage is set for first White House race since 1976 without a Bush, Clinton or Biden on ballot
President Joe Biden's decision Sunday to drop out of the 2024 election sets the stage to end a nearly 50-year run when either a Bush, Clinton, or Biden appeared on the ballot as president or vice presidential candidate for the White House.
Members of the Bush and Clinton families, along with Joe Biden, have been on every presidential election ticket since 1980, when Ronald Reagan and running mate George H.W. Bush won.
Reagan and Bush easily won reelection in 1984 before Bush won the presidency himself in 1988.
The next four elections would feature either a Bush or Clinton on the ballot, with Bill Clinton defeating George H.W. Bush in 1992, before defeating Bob Dole in 1996, and George W. Bush winning elections in 2000 and 2004.
The following four elections (2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020) all had Biden or Hillary Clinton on the ballot, with Barack Obama and Joe Biden winning election in the first two contests, Hillary Clinton losing to Donald Trump in 2016 and Biden defeating Trump in 2020.
The revelation about those names potentially being absent for 2024 comes after Biden announced on Sunday that he is no longer running for the White House against Trump in this year's election after concerns about his age and ability to do the job.
"I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term," Biden said.
He immediately endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement, calling the Democrats to "come together and beat Trump." In addition to Biden, Harris has since been endorsed by members of her party, including Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Different names have been swirling around as potential running mate picks for Harris. It includes Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
With no Bushes, Clintons or Bidens remaining in the mix for the 2024 ballot, Sunday's decision set the stage for an election that would break a nearly 50-year tradition.
2024 Election: What's next after Democrats' huge gamble on 2024 election? There's no telling.
Take a look at how a Bush, Clinton, or Biden were on the ticket for the White House throughout the years:
1980
- Republican Nominee: Ronald Reagan
- Running Mate: George H.W. Bush
1984
- Republican Nominee: Ronald Reagan
- Running Mate: George H.W. Bush
1988
- Republican nominee: George H.W. Bush
- Running Mate: Dan Quayle
1992
- Democratic nominee: Bill Clinton
- Democratic Running Mate: Al Gore
- Republican nominee: George H.W. Bush
- Republican Running Mate: Dan Quayle
1996
- Democratic nominee: Bill Clinton
- Running Mate: Al Gore
2000
- Republican nominee: George W. Bush
- Running Mate: Dick Cheney
2004
- Republican nominee: George W. Bush
- Running Mate: Dick Cheney
2008
- Democratic nominee: Barack Obama
- Running Mate: Joe Biden
2012
- Democratic nominee: Barack Obama
- Running Mate: Joe Biden
2016
- Democratic nominee: Hillary Clinton
- Running Mate: Tim Kaine
2020
- Democratic nominee: Joe Biden
- Running Mate: Kamala Harris
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for Paste BN. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com.