politics 2016 election timeline
19 republican
7 democrat
2015: Early Campaigns and Candidate Announcements
April 12, 2015: Hillary Clinton officially announces her candidacy for the Democratic nomination.
June 16, 2015: Donald Trump officially announces his candidacy for the Republican nomination.
Late 2015: Other notable candidates who entered the race:
Democrats: Bernie Sanders (April 30, 2015).
Republicans: Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, and others.
2016: Primaries and Caucuses
February 1, 2016 – Iowa Caucuses:
Democratic Result: Hillary Clinton narrowly defeats Bernie Sanders.
Clinton: 49.9% of the vote.
Sanders: 49.6% of the vote.
Republican Result: Ted Cruz wins the Republican caucus.
Cruz: 27.6%.
Trump: 24.3%.
Marco Rubio: 23.1%.
February 9, 2016 – New Hampshire Primary:
Democratic Result: Bernie Sanders wins decisively.
Sanders: 60.1%.
Clinton: 38.2%.
Republican Result: Donald Trump wins with a commanding lead.
Trump: 35.3%.
John Kasich: 15.7%.
Ted Cruz: 11.7%.
March 1, 2016 – Super Tuesday:
Democratic Super Tuesday: Clinton wins seven states; Sanders wins four.
Clinton: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia.
Sanders: Colorado, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Vermont.
Republican Super Tuesday: Trump wins seven states.
Trump: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia.
Cruz: Alaska, Oklahoma, Texas.
March – May 2016:
Trump continues to build momentum, winning key primaries in Florida (March 15), New York (April 19), and Indiana (May 3).
Clinton solidifies her lead with wins in New York (April 19) and California (June 7).
May 3, 2016 – Ted Cruz Suspends Campaign:
After losing the Indiana primary, Ted Cruz suspends his campaign, leaving Trump as the presumptive Republican nominee.
June 6, 2016 – Clinton Secures Delegates:
Hillary Clinton clinches the necessary delegates to become the presumptive Democratic nominee.
July 2016: Party Conventions
July 18-21, 2016 – Republican National Convention (Cleveland, Ohio):
Donald Trump is officially nominated as the Republican candidate for president.
Mike Pence, Governor of Indiana, is selected as Trump’s running mate.
July 25-28, 2016 – Democratic National Convention (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania):
Hillary Clinton is officially nominated as the Democratic candidate for president, becoming the first woman nominated for president by a major political party.
Tim Kaine, Senator from Virginia, is selected as Clinton’s running mate.
November 8, 2016: Election Day
Results:
Electoral College:
Donald Trump: 304 electoral votes.
Hillary Clinton: 227 electoral votes.
Popular Vote:
Hillary Clinton: 65,853,514 votes (48.2%).
Donald Trump: 62,984,828 votes (46.1%).
Clinton won the popular vote by about 2.9 million votes, but Trump secured victory through the Electoral College.
Key Swing States Won by Trump:
Florida: 49.0% Trump vs. 47.8% Clinton.
Pennsylvania: 48.2% Trump vs. 47.5% Clinton.
Michigan: 47.5% Trump vs. 47.3% Clinton.
Wisconsin: 47.2% Trump vs. 46.5% Clinton.
Trump’s victories in the traditionally Democratic "blue wall" states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin were crucial to his Electoral College victory.
December 19, 2016 – Electoral College Voting:
The electors formally cast their votes, confirming Trump’s election as the 45th president.
January 20, 2017 – Inauguration:
Donald Trump is inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States.
Summary Statistics from the 2016 Election:
Total Voter Turnout: Approximately 136.7 million voters participated, representing about 55.7% of the voting-eligible population.
Electoral Vote Margin: Trump won 304 electoral votes to Clinton's 227, with 7 faithless electors (2 for Trump, 5 for Clinton).
Popular Vote Margin: Hillary Clinton received 2.9 million more votes than Donald Trump.