On November 3, 2020, the Americans will elect their new president. The Democrats started the primaries in early February with more than two dozen applicants. Little by little, all but ex-President Joe Biden withdrew their applications. In the summer, the Democrats want to officially elect their presidential candidate: the nomination party convention was originally scheduled for mid-July, but was postponed to mid-August due to the Corona crisis. On the Republican side, there is no serious competition with US President Donald Trump for the candidacy. An overview of all news and developments:
Democratic area code in New York canceled
Monday, April 27, 7:35 p.m .: The Democratic area code in New York has been canceled due to concerns about the spread of the corona virus. This was decided by the democratic members of the election board, according to US media. New York is the first US state to completely cancel the democratic primary – for the first time in its history. Numerous other states had already postponed their area codes. The area code in New York was originally supposed to take place at the end of April and was then postponed to June 23 due to the corona pandemic. Local and regional elections in the state of New York are scheduled to continue on June 23, and voters are encouraged to vote by postal vote if possible.
The 2020 US Presidential Election newsletter
Michael Bloomberg spent a billion dollars on his short campaign
Tuesday, April 21, 2:39 p.m .: Michael Bloomberg spent around one billion dollars (920 million euros) on his application for the presidential candidacy of the US Democrats within three months. This emerged on Monday from a report by the Election Commission (FEC) to fund the campaign up to and including March. The multi-billionaire and former mayor of New York funded his campaign himself and accepted no donations.
Bloomberg (78) left the race for candidacy in early March after disappointing results in the primaries after just over three months. He is one of the richest people in the world.
Biden wins area code in Wyoming after Sanders exit
Sunday, April 19, 10:07 p.m .: As the only remaining US Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden won the Wyoming area code as expected. The democratic party in the least populous state of the United States declared Biden the winner on Sunday with 72.2 percent of the vote. The left senator Bernie Sanders – who had withdrawn his candidacy on April 8 – came to 27.8 percent.
In Wyoming, there were only 14 votes for the Democratic nomination convention in August. Biden’s official freestyle as the party’s presidential candidate is expected there. Biden has almost won the party-internal race through Sanders withdrawal. However, Sanders wants to stay on the ballot papers for the remaining primaries and continue to collect delegate votes in order to at least secure content-related influence at the party conference in the summer.
For a nomination as a presidential candidate, the 1991 votes of the 3979 regular delegates are required at the Democratic Party Congress. According to calculations by the US television station CNN, Biden has already secured almost 1,300 delegate votes in the primaries.
Obama stands behind Biden in the US presidential race
Former US President Barack Obama has officially assured his former deputy Joe Biden of his support in the US presidential race. He is proud to recommend his friend Biden as president, Obama said in a video message posted on Twitter on Tuesday. Obama’s support should give Biden, the only remaining Democratic presidential candidate, a further boost. After the withdrawal of left-wing Senator Bernie Sanders, the 77-year-old is more or less a challenger to incumbent Donald Trump in the presidential election in early November – long before the primaries end.
Biden officially wins election in Wisconsin
Former Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden won his party’s area code last week in Wisconsin. The result was only allowed to be published on Monday after a judicial order. But it was just a formality anyway, because Biden’s internal rival Bernie Sanders had already announced the day after the election on April 7 that he would be out of the race. The area code in Wisconsin was the last in which Sanders had started.
The process of selecting the Democrats for their presidential candidate had been overshadowed by the Corona crisis in recent weeks. Several states postponed their primaries. It was held in Wisconsin despite great concerns. A court stopped an attempt by the Republicans to try to get a postponement there too.
Sanders supports Biden’s candidacy
Monday, April 13, 8:30 p.m .: Bernie Sanders supports the US presidential candidacy of his former democratic rival Joe Biden. “We need to band together to beat today’s most dangerous president,” Sanders wrote on Twitter and posted a joint online presence with bids. In the livestream on Monday, Sanders said: “I ask all Americans, I ask every Democrat, I ask every independent, I ask many Republicans to come together in this campaign to support your candidacy, which I support.”
Sanders called for the prevention of Donald Trump’s re-election. “I will do everything I can to make this happen.”
Trump: “This is not an exit”
Thursday, April 9, 1:30 a.m .: The US President sees the withdrawal of left senator Bernie Sanders as half-hearted. “He didn’t really get out,” Trump said at the White House in Washington. Sanders is sticking to the votes he has received so far and wants to collect more in the next primaries. “This is not an exit,” said Trump. “It’s a strange thing that’s going on.”
Sanders had said Biden would be the party’s presidential candidate and they would stand together to defeat Trump. At the same time, he announced that he would remain on the ballot papers for the remaining primaries in order to continue collecting delegate votes and thus at least gain influence over the content at the big nomination party conference of the Democrats in the summer. Trump said he hoped disappointed Sanders supporters would vote for him now. (jsa)
Sanders addresses video messages to supporters
Wednesday, April 8, 7:50 p.m .: Bernie Sanders sent a video message to his supporters. The decision to withdraw was not an easy one, said the 78-year-old. It was a “difficult and painful” decision. “If I thought we had a viable way to be nominated, I would certainly continue the campaign, but it just isn’t there.” In the current crisis in the country, he could not continue with a clear conscience with a campaign that had no chance of victory. Sanders congratulated Biden. He was “a very decent man with whom I will work to advance our progressive ideas”. Biden will be the party’s presidential candidate and they will stand together to defeat Trump, he said. The struggle for more justice continues. Instead of an all-encompassing message of support for his previous opponent, Sanders thus sent the signal that he did not really trust Biden and the party establishment when it came to the course of the party. Biden expressed respect for Sanders’ step and at the same time reached out to him and his supporters. He was aware of how tough the decision was, said Biden. Sanders put the nation’s interests and the need to defeat Trump above everything else. (jsa)
Sanders leaves US presidential race
Wednesday, April 8, 5:30 p.m .: Bernie Sanders suspends his election campaign in the race for the Democratic presidential candidacy. This was announced by his campaign helpers on Wednesday in a press release. The Vermont senator announced his withdrawal from the election campaign on Wednesday, admitting that he was too far behind rival Joe Biden after the previous primaries. He is considered the likely Democratic candidate against President Donald Trump in the November presidential election. (jsa)
Area code in Wisconsin under chaotic conditions
Wednesday, April 8, 6:20 a.m .: Despite the corona epidemic in the United States, voters in Wisconsin on Tuesday voted who should stand for the Democrats against President Donald Trump. However, the two candidates, moderate ex-vice president Joe Biden and left senator Bernie Sanders, had rejected the choice because of the health risk. Governor Tony Evers ordered a last-minute postponement of the vote on Monday, but a court reversed his order.
The circumstances surrounding the vote were chaotic. Voters had to queue for hours on Tuesday, especially long waiting times in the metropolis of Milwaukee, where only five of 180 polling stations were open due to the corona pandemic. Many thousands more people decided to stay at home to avoid contact with others. Apparently there were problems with the delivery of the postal voting documents for those who wanted to vote from home. No rapid results were expected after the polling stations closed in the evening. Because all postal votes received by the authorities by April 13 still have to be included. According to a court ruling, the result of the area code should therefore not be published earlier than next Monday. (jsa)
Governor plans to move area code to Wisconsin
Monday, April 6, 8:20 p.m .: In the US state of Wisconsin, an area code is to be postponed in the race for the US presidency because of the corona virus. Governor Tony Evers ordered the postponement on Monday by two months to June 9. His decision is likely to be challenged in court. Evers had previously spoken out against postponing the vote originally planned for (tomorrow) Tuesday. But recently, there has been growing criticism of how the area code is supposed to take place at a time when health authorities are advising against gathering people. Dozens of polling stations were already closed anyway because election workers refused to go on site. (jsa)
Democrats postpone nomination party convention
Thursday, April 2, 6.30 p.m .: Because of the coronavirus crisis, the US Democrats postpone their presidential nomination convention, scheduled for July, by one month. The party convention should now take place in mid-August in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Democratic Party said. The meeting was originally scheduled for July 13-16. In view of the great uncertainty of the current situation, it is best to take additional time to continue to monitor the situation, it said. The security of the party participants and the people in Milwaukee is paramount.
At the party convention, the US Democrats want to officially elect their presidential candidate for the upcoming election in November 2020. Former US Vice President Joe Biden and left Senator Bernie Sanders are still in the running for nomination. Biden is clearly in the lead. However, due to the corona pandemic, the pre-selection process for the nomination of the candidate has largely stalled. (Saul)
The state of New York is also postponing the area code
Tuesday, March 31, 9.50 a.m .: Various primaries had been scheduled for March and April. However, due to the spread of the corona virus, at least eleven states have already postponed their area codes: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and now also New York. Other states have extended their postal voting deadlines – this is also delaying the process. As of now, several primaries have been moved to June 2. If it stays that way, that June-Tuesday would be a little “Super Tuesday”.
Postponing the main election date in November would be difficult. It is set by law, so it would need a US Congressional amendment that could be challenged before the courts. In addition, only a few weeks could be won in this way. Because the further schedule is laid down in the constitution and thus even more rigid: the start date for the new congress on January 3 and the inauguration of the president on January 20. (jael)
Gabbard closes her application
Thursday, March 19, 4:30 p.m .: Now it’s officially a duel: The last woman left in the candidate field, Tulsi Gabbard, has announced the end of her campaign. The 38-year-old Hawaiian MP shared their followers via Twitter with and announced that he would like to support Joe Biden in the future.
Gabbard announced her ambition to run early and was in the race for a total of 411 days. But behind the heavyweights in the field of applicants, she could not prevail. In the end, she was only able to win two delegate votes. (bix)
Biden wins primaries in Florida, Illinois and Arizona
Wednesday, March 18, 4:20 p.m .: Former US Vice President Joe Biden is predicted to win the Florida, Illinois, and Arizona primaries in the race for the Democrats’ US presidential nomination. Before that, Biden had previously won area codes in 16 other states.
In all three states, Biden had led the way in surveys. Now the pressure on Sanders to get out of the race should increase. Actually, voting should have been done in Ohio. However, due to the spread of the corona virus, the health authority had briefly ordered to keep the polling stations closed.
US President Donald Trump, who had no serious opponent, is set as a Republican candidate, according to the numbers after the Florida and Illinois primaries. With his victories there, he achieved more than the 1,276 delegate votes required for his nomination on Tuesday, according to the news agency AP.(jael)
Joe Biden receives protection from the Secret Service
Tuesday, March 17th, 5 p.m .: Democratic US presidential candidate Joe Biden now receives state protection. This was announced by the competent authority, the Secret Service. Biden’s code name at the Secret Service is said to be “Celtic,” CNN reports, citing two people familiar with the matter.
The candidate himself had asked for it after incidents at his campaign events. Among other things, two demonstrators stormed on stage during his speech in Los Angeles on “Super Tuesday”. Biden’s private security service and his wife Jill Biden had warded off the demonstrators.
The Secret Service is responsible for protecting the President, the Vice President, and their families, as well as senior government officials, in the United States. He is also empowered to protect key presidential candidates. Biden’s rival Bernie Sanders has so far not applied for protection. (gal)
US states are postponing primaries
Tuesday, March 17th: The U.S. states of Maryland and Ohio postpone the presidential election. The decision was made due to a health emergency caused by the corona virus threat, Ohio governor Mike DeWine said on Twitter. Previously, Louisiana, Georgia, and Kentucky had moved the area codes in their states because of the corona crisis. A new appointment is still pending. (bix, fie)
Ohio Area Code – Health authorities close polling stations
Tuesday, March 17th: The Ohio governor is opposing the planned US Democratic primary in his state. Department of Health director Amy Acton has signed an order to shut down polling stations, Mike DeWine said on Twitter. He had previously failed to have the primaries stopped in court. The area code was scheduled for Tuesday March 17, as well as in Arizona, Florida and Illinois. DeWine argued that the Ohio election should be postponed because of the risk of contracting the coronavirus in polling stations. He had approved the postponement to June 2, but not the authority to cancel the election, as he said on Monday. (jael)
Biden also wins Democratic primary in Washington
Tuesday, March 17th: Former US Vice President Joe Biden won alongside four other states in Washington’s Democratic primary last week. Biden has a slight lead over Senator Bernie Sanders, it said from an official body. The election had already taken place on March 10, but it had taken just under a week for the votes to be counted. Sanders had hoped to win in Washington. In 2016 he won there clearly ahead of his then competitor Hillary Clinton. Biden had also won in Missouri, Mississippi, Michigan and Idaho last Tuesday. Sanders won in North Dakota. (jael)
Louisiana postpones primaries for corona virus
Friday, March 13: The U.S. state of Louisiana is postponing the Republican and Democratic area codes ahead of the US presidential election because of the spread of the corona virus. Instead of April 4, they are now scheduled to take place on June 20 to ensure maximum turnout, the head of the electoral agency, Kyle Ardoin, said on Friday. The spread of Covid-19 lung disease is an “unprecedented threat”. Louisiana is the first state to postpone primary coronavirus primaries. Elections are scheduled for Tuesday in Florida, Arizona, Illinois and Ohio.
The number of people infected with the Sars-CoV-2 virus is also increasing in the United States. According to the CDC health agency, the number of coronavirus cases is more than 1,600. More than 40 deaths have been recorded. There should be a high number of unreported cases because comparatively few tests have been carried out to date. (Saul)
Trump stops entry from the Schengen area
Thursday, March 12: To address the coronavirus in the United States, President Trump prohibits entry into the United States from many European countries. He blames Europeans for the spread of the virus. But the problem is that Trump ignores the virus crisis in his own country so bluntly, comments Torsten Denkler. He wants to win an election in autumn and therefore has nothing to do with the virus. As so often, Trump places his own interest above the well-being of the country. He could therefore be responsible for many deaths. (Saul)
Sanders wants to stay in the race despite new defeats
Wednesday, March 11th: The election evening was “obviously not a good night for our campaign,” said candidate Bernie Sanders after the “Super Tuesday II”. Still, he won’t give up. On Sunday, he wants to face his competitor for the presidential candidacy, Joe Biden, in the Democrats’ first one-on-one TV debate.
He wanted to take the opportunity to make the distinction between the two candidates clear, Sanders said. Although he had “won the ideological debate”, he was “losing the electoral debate”. Many followers would have told him that they agreed with him on many points. However, they are not convinced that he can persist in the presidential election against Trump.
Sanders turned directly to Biden. “Joe, what are you going to do?” He asked again and again, linking campaign issues such as health care reform, equality of income or mass detention. This can be understood as an indication that Sanders will withdraw if Biden approaches Sanders in terms of content. Primaries will be held in Arizona, Florida, Illinois and Ohio next Tuesday. A total of 577 delegate votes are cast in the four elections. Biden currently leads with 837 votes, ahead of Sanders with 689 votes. (cleric)
Sanders wins in North Dakota
Wednesday, March 11th: The presidential candidate Bernie Sanders won the minor state of North Dakota in the primaries. He received more than 53 percent of the votes there, Biden only about 38 percent. Elizabeth Warren accounted for 2.5 percent. Warren was out of the race last week. Voters who voted by postal vote could still vote beforehand.
Biden won in the major area code of Michigan as well as Idaho, Missouri and Mississippi. Washington has not yet been fully counted. In the state in the northwest, Sanders and Biden were head to head on Wednesday afternoon. (cck)
Biden also wins in the important US state of Michigan
Wednesday, March 11th: Former US Vice President Joe Biden is predicted to win in the key presidential state of Michigan in the presidential race of the US Democrats. The poll in Michigan – an industrialized country in the US Midwest – was considered an important indicator of the strength of the candidates at the race. It is about the votes of 125 delegates for the Democrats’ nomination convention in July – most of the delegate votes to be given on Tuesday in primary elections in a total of six states.
Biden was also forecast to win in the states of Mississippi and Missouri on Tuesday. His win in Michigan gives Biden a special boost – and means a bitter setback for Sanders. Sanders had focused his campaign over the past few days on the vote-weighty state of Michigan, where he won in the 2016 primaries. Michigan was “very, very important” for the race, Sanders had admitted at the weekend, but at the same time emphasized that he would not give up in the event of a defeat in Michigan. (jael)
Sanders and Biden cancel campaign appearances due to corona virus
Tuesday, March 10th: The corona virus also has ramifications for the US presidential campaign. Left Senator Sanders and ex-Vice President Biden canceled scheduled campaign appearances in the US state of Ohio for this Tuesday evening (local time). This would heed the state’s warnings of large indoor events, said Sanders’ campaign team spokesman Mike Casca. At all future campaign events, decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis, the campaign team said. The cancellations fell on an important day in the race for the presidential candidacy: primary elections were held this Tuesday in six states. (Saul)
Ex-candidate Harris supports Biden
Sunday, March 8th: Former Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, like other former allies, has the former US Vice President Joe Biden expressed their support. Harris said on Sunday that there was no one better than Biden to steer the country through turbulent times and restore truth, honor and decency to the Oval Office. Biden is good-natured, caring and listens to the American people, said the African-American politician. This will give Biden another boost shortly before the next major round of primaries. Previously, Pete Buttigieg, Michael Bloomberg and Amy Klobuchar, who had also dropped out, had called on their supporters to support Biden.
Most recently, Elizabeth Warren had withdrawn from the competition. So far, however, she has expressly left open whether she wants to recommend her supporters to vote for Sanders or Biden. Sanders told CNN on Sunday he would like Warren’s support. The 78-year-old was self-confident and said he saw himself as the strongest candidate to defeat incumbent Donald Trump in the November presidential election. However, Sanders made it clear that he would support Biden if he was nominated as a candidate – and Biden would support him if he won. The primary goal is to beat Trump.
Warren gets out
Thursday, March 5: Elizabeth Warren is ending her presidential campaign, according to several US media. The Massachusetts senator, with her more left-wing program, targeted voters groups similar to Bernie Sanders, but underperformed her expectations in the previous primaries. Even in her home state, she was only third behind Biden and Sanders on Super Tuesday. With her departure, Tulsi Gabbard is now the last remaining woman in the applicant field. However, she has fewer chances than Warren.
Joe Biden warns of a negative election campaign among Democrats
Wednesday, March 4th: After his winning streak in the primaries, former US Vice President Joe Biden warned his competitors about the presidential candidacy of the US Democrats against a destructive election campaign. “We cannot allow these primaries to turn into a campaign of negative attacks in the coming weeks,” said Biden in Los Angeles on Wednesday. That would only benefit President Donald Trump, said Biden. He wanted to overcome the division in the United States.
The only serious competitor Bidens is now the left Senator Bernie Sanders (78). Also in the running are Senator Elizabeth Warren (70), who has little realistic chance of being nominated, and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (38), who has no chance. Sanders said on Wednesday in Vermont about the upcoming duel with Biden: “I like Joe. He’s a decent guy.” Sanders also did not want the election campaign to drift off into personal attacks. “This is the last thing the country wants.” Sanders emphasized, however, that there were major differences in content between him and Biden, for example in health policy. “This is a competition of ideas,” he said. It is about different visions for the country. The next primaries in six other U.S. states will take place next Tuesday. (mxm)
Bloomberg gives up
Wednesday, March 4th: The billionaire Michael Bloomberg gets out of the race for the Democratic presidential candidacy. This was announced by his campaign staff on Wednesday. He will now support former Vice President Joe Biden, the statement said. “I will work to make him the next president of the United States.” On “Super Tuesday”, on which 14 US states voted, Bloomberg had only been able to book the American suburb of American Samoa. The ex-mayor of New York was on the ballot papers for the first time.
Biden triumphs on Super Tuesday
Wednesday, March 4th: The US Democratic presidential nomination narrows to a duel between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. The two fared the best on the most important pre-election day “Super Tuesday”. Especially the almost depreciated ex-vice president Biden took off. The 77-year-old, who stands for the moderate camp, celebrated surprisingly important victories in nine of the 14 states in which elections were held on Tuesday. But the previous leader Sanders from the left wing of the party was also successful and was first in California after the first counts, which will send most delegates to the nomination party convention.
Amy Klobuchar gets out
Monday, March 2nd: Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar will not participate in further Democratic primary, media reports. Instead, she will support the candidacy of Joe Biden, on whose side she already wanted to campaign on Monday. The moderate politician saw Bernie Sanders as a dangerous socialist. In New Hampshire she achieved a remarkable third place. However, their campaign lacked the necessary donations to keep up with the other candidates. It was also the fear of Sanders’ success that has now moved the moderate candidate group. Without Buttigieg, Steyer and Klobuchar, moderate Democrats in the primaries can now focus entirely on Biden or Bloomberg. (cleric)
Pete Buttigieg and Tom Steyer end presidential campaigns
Monday, March 2nd: Former South Bend, Democratic Mayor of Indiana, Pete Buttigieg, ends his presidential campaign. “The truth is that the road to our candidacy, but not our cause, has come to an end,” Buttigieg told supporters in his hometown South Bend on Sunday evening. After strong results in the first two primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire, Buttigieg had two disappointing results in Nevada, where he finished third, and last Saturday in South Carolina. Buttigieg only finished fourth behind the clear winner Joe Biden, second-placed Bernie Sanders and Californian billionaire Tom Steyer. Steyer had already announced the end of his campaign immediately after the area code on Saturday. (mxm)
Joe Biden wins in South Carolina
Sunday, March 1st: The former Vice President under Barack Obama has won the great hoped-for and necessary victory in South Carolina. After counting 86 percent of all votes, he won 48.4 percent of the delegate votes. Bernie Sanders, who leads the national polls with a clear lead in the field of democratic applicants, came in second with just under 30 percentage points. He comes to 19.9 percent. Biden’s clear victory is somewhat surprising. He had been disappointing in the previous primaries. Recent surveys indicated a much tighter result.
The billionaire Tom Steyer got out of the race on election night. Er holte zwar einen achtbaren dritten Platz. Seine 11,4 Prozent sind aber offenbar nicht genug, um ihm ausreichenden Schwung für den Super Tuesday am 3. März zu geben. In nationalen Umfragen erreicht er lediglich 2,1 Prozent. Pete Buttigieg kam mit 8,1 Prozent auf Rang vier. Elizabeth Warren erreichte lediglich Rang fünf mit 7,0 Prozent. Amy Klobuchar erreicht mit 3,2 Prozent Rang sechs. Vor allem Warren und Klobuchar werden sich jetzt fragen müssen, ob sie weitermachen wollen. Warren, Senatorin aus Massachusetts hat ein ähnliches Programm wie Sanders, konnte ihm aber bisher in keiner der jetzt vier Vorwahlen gefährlich werden. Klobuchar, moderate Senatorin aus Minnesota hingegen kann sich nur dann Chancen ausrechnen, wenn Biden schwächelt. Danach sieht es jetzt nicht mehr aus. (kler)
Coronavirus könnte Sanders im Wahlkampf helfen
Freitag, 28. Februar: Auch in den USA wird verstärkt über das Coronavirus diskutiert. Die weltweite Krise könnte bei den Demokraten dem in Führung liegenden Sanders in die Karten spielen, sagt Analyst Jochen Stanzl vom Online-Broker CMC Markets. Sanders tritt für eine allgemeine staatliche Krankenversicherung und höhere Steuern für Reiche ein. Analysten gehen davon aus, dass bei einem Wahlsieg Sanders’ Aktienkurse unter Druck geraten könnten. “Mit Sanders könnte der Sonderweg der Vereinigten Staaten (im Vergleich zur Mehrheit der westlichen Demokratien) im Bereich der Sozialpolitik beendet werden”, befindet Ulrich Leuchtmann, Devisenexperte bei der Commerzbank. Das könnte die USA weniger attraktiv für internationale Investoren machen. Im Rennen um die US-Präsidentschaftskandidatur der Demokraten wird am Samstag im Bundesstaat South Carolina die vierte Vorwahl abgehalten. (saul)
Erdrutschsieg für Sanders in Nevada, Biden auf Platz zwei
Montag, 24. Februar: Bernie Sanders hat seine Rolle als faktischer Frontrunner der Demokraten durch einen deutlichen Sieg bei den Vorwahlen in Nevada gefestigt. Der linke Senator gewann mit 47,1 Prozent aller Stimmen deutlich vor Joe Biden, der 21 Prozent der Wähler von sich überzeugen konnte. Auf Platz drei kommt Pete Buttigieg mit 13,7 Prozent der Stimmen. Damit entfallen auf Sanders 24 Delegierte, Biden bekommt neun und Buttigieg drei. Sanders führt damit vor dem Super Tuesday am 3. März deutlich vor Buttigieg und Biden. Für die kommende Vorwahl in South Carolina sehen die Umfragen den ehemaligen Vizepräsidenten Biden vorne. (bix)
Russland unterstützt in den Vorwahlen angeblich Sanders
Freitag, 21. Februar: Die Sanders-Kampagne teilte am Freitag mit, dass sie von US-Offiziellen vor etwa einem Monat über Russlands Versuche informiert wurde, den US-Senator im Vorwahlkampf der Demokraten zu unterstützen. Erst vor wenigen Tagen war berichtet, worden, dass Russland versuche, Trump bei seiner Wiederwahl zu helfen. The New York Times zufolge halten es einige aktuelle und ehemalige Mitarbeiter der US-Behörden für möglich, dass die Unterstützung Russlands für Sanders im Vorwahlkampf der Demokraten letztlich auch Trump helfen soll. Das Kalkül demnach: Sanders sei für Trump bei der Präsidentschaftswahl im Herbst ein leichterer Gegner als moderate Demokraten. Auch im Wahlkampf 2016 hatten russische Social-Media-Wahlkämpfer dem Mueller-Report zufolge die Anweisung, der Sanders-Kampagne zumindest nicht zu schaden. US-Präsident Trump hatte die Berichte über neuerliche russische Hilfe für seinen Wahlkampf als “weitere Lügengeschichte der Demokraten” bezeichnet. Sanders nannte den russischen Präsidenten in einer Mitteilung am Freitag einen “autokratischen Schuft” und warnte ihn davor, sich in dem US-Wahlkampf einzumischen. (mxm)
Bloomberg geht wegen angeblich sexistischer Äußerungen in Offensive
Freitag, 21. Februar: Unter wachsendem Druck wegen angeblich sexistischer Äußerungen geht der demokratische Präsidentschaftsbewerber Mike Bloomberg in den USA in die Offensive: Der Milliardär bot am Freitag an, Verschwiegenheitserklärungen seines Konzerns mit drei Frauen aufzuheben, damit diese über seine angeblichen Bemerkungen Auskunft geben könnten. Wegen der Verschwiegenheitserklärungen war Bloomberg bei einer Fernsehdebatte am vergangenen Mittwoch von seinen demokratischen Mitbewerbern scharf angegriffen worden. Die Senatorin Elizabeth Warren forderte Bloomberg auf, alle Frauen, die öffentlich über ihre Vorwürfe gegen ihn reden wollten, aus den Vereinbarungen zu entlassen. Bloomberg hatte diese Forderung in der Debatte noch zurückgewiesen. “Sie haben diese Vereinbarungen unterschrieben, und wir werden damit leben”, hatte Bloomberg geantwortet. Das Publikum hatte Bloomberg daraufhin ausgebuht. (mxm)
Bloomberg wird bei TV-Debatte scharf attackiert
Donnerstag, 20. Februar: Die Konkurrenten des Milliardärs haben sich auf das erste Aufeinandertreffen mit ihm im TV offenbar besser vorbereitet als Bloomberg selber. So warf ihm Elizabeth Warren Sexismus vor und dass er Frauen mit Verschwiegenheits-Übereinkommen mundtot gemacht hätte. Er weiß darauf wenig Antworten. Doch Warren greift nicht nur ihn an, sondern auch Bernie Sanders und Pete Buttigieg, berichtet Thorsten Denkler. (bix)
Michael Bloomberg erstmals für TV-Debatte qualifiziert
Donnerstag, 19. Februar: Der US-Präsidentschaftsbewerber und Milliardär Michael Bloomberg nimmt an diesem Mittwoch (nach deutscher Zeit in die Nacht auf Donnerstag) bei einer Fernsehdebatte mit anderen demokratischen Bewerbern teil. Bloomberg war erst spät in den Wahlkampf eingestiegen und will sich erstmals am Super Tuesday zur Wahl stellen. Am 3. März wählen 15 Staaten und die Demokraten im Ausland gleichzeitig. Eine US-weite Umfrage sieht Bloomberg derzeit mit 19 Prozent Unterstützung auf dem zweiten Platz hinter Sanders mit 31 Prozent. (cck)
Bennet und Yang geben auf
Mittwoch, 12. Februar: Unmittelbar nach Abschluss der zweiten Vorwahl im Rennen um die Präsidentschaftskandidatur der US-Demokraten haben zwei weitere Bewerber das Handtuch geworfen. Nach der Schließung der Wahllokale in New Hampshire erklärte der Unternehmer Andrew Yang, die absehbaren Resultate seien “nicht das Ergebnis, für das wir so hart gekämpft haben”. Es gebe derzeit keinen Weg mehr für ihn, sich die Kandidatur der Partei zu sichern, erklärte Yang vor Unterstützern.
Auch Michael Bennet gab seinen Rückzug bekannt. Der 55-jährige Senator aus Colorado hatte gehofft, sich bei der zweiten Vorwahl von den anderen moderaten Kandidaten Biden, Buttigieg und Klobuchar absetzen zu können. Beide, Yang und Bennet, erklärten, sie würden den siegreichen Kandidaten der Demokraten unterstützen, um Donald Trump ablösen zu können.
Am Mittwoch stieg auch der frühere Gouverneur von Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, aus. Er war der letzte afroamerikanische Politiker im Bewerberfeld gewesen, das jetzt noch acht Politikerinnen und Politiker umfasst. (bix)
Sanders siegt in New Hampshire
Mittwoch, 12. Februar: Im Falle von New Hampshire erweisen sich die Prognosen und Umfragen vor der Vorwahl als korrekt: Bernie Sanders hat die Primary in dem Ostküstenstaat für sich entschieden, allerdings nur mit einem knappen Vorsprung. Nach Auszählung von 90 Prozent aller Stimmen lag Sanders knapp 1,5 Prozent vor Pete Buttigieg, der eine Woche zuvor die Vorwahl in Iowa für sich entschieden hatte. Damit gehen neun Delegiertenstimmen an jeweils beide Kandidaten. An Platz drei steht Amy Klobuchar, die noch sechs Delegierte für sich gewinnen kann. Die mitfavorisierten Elizabeth Warren und Joe Biden gehen leer aus. (bix)
Team Sanders verlangt Teilprüfung der Iowa-Ergebnisse
Montag, 10. Februar: Iowa wird voraussichtlich 14 nationale Delegierte für Pete Buttigieg zum Nominierungsparteitag im Sommer entsenden – zwei mehr als für den linken Senator Bernie Sanders. Das geht aus weiteren Ergebnissen hervor, die die Demokratische Partei in Iowa am Sonntag veröffentlichte. Sanders werde zwölf Delegierte erhalten, die drittplatzierte Elizabeth Warren acht, der ehemalige Vizepräsident Joe Biden sechs und Amy Klobuchar einen einzigen.
Ein offizielles Endergebnis gibt es nachwievor nicht. Das Team von Sanders will eine Teilprüfung der Ergebnisse verlangen. Bei dem Prozedere handelt es sich nicht um eine Neuzählung. Vielmehr wird dabei die Stimmenauszählung geprüft, um sicherzustellen, dass einzelne Resultate richtig addiert wurden. (saul)
Kein endgültiges Ergebnis in Iowa
Freitag, 7. Februar: Vier Tage nach dem ersten Caucus der US-Vorwahlen gibt es in Iowa immer noch keinen eindeutigen Gewinner. Das hat zweierlei Gründe: Zum einen gab es technische Probleme bei einer App der Demokraten, die das Auszählen vereinfachen sollte, es aber noch viel komplizierter gemacht hat, weswegen bei der kommenden Vorwahl in Nevada wieder das althergebrachte Verfahren eingesetzt wird. Zum anderen gibt es – kaum zu glauben – in einem Bezirk immer noch kein finales Ergebnis. Bernie Sanders und Pete Buttigieg sehen sich zudem beide als Sieger der Vorwahl. Nun gibt es Stimmen, die eine Neuauszählung fordern, doch auch das ist kompliziert. Nach derzeitigem Stand käme Buttigieg auf 13 Delegiertenstimmen, Sanders auf 11, Elizabeth Warren auf sieben und Joe Biden auf 5. Das kann sich aber auch noch ändern. (bix)
Republikanischer Präsidentschaftsbewerber Walsh beendet Kampagne
Freitag, 7. Februar: Der frühere US-Kongressabgeordnete Joe Walsh steigt aus dem Rennen um die Präsidentschaftskandidatur der Republikaner aus. “Ich beende meine Kampagne, aber unser Kampf gegen die Sekte von Trump hat erst begonnen”, erklärte der konservative Radio-Moderator am Freitag auf Twitter. Er sei entschlossen, alles zu tun, um Trump im November zu schlagen. Walsh hatte bei der ersten Vorwahl der Republikaner in Iowa Anfang der Woche wie Trumps anderer Konkurrent Bill Weld lediglich etwas mehr als ein Prozent der Stimmen bekommen. (saul)
Buttigieg liegt in Iowa knapp vor Sanders
Freitag, 7. Februar: Drei Tage nach der Wahl sind die Wahlbezirke komplett ausgezählt. Der frühere Bürgermeister Pete Buttigieg hält seinen knappen Vorsprung vor dem linken Senator Bernie Sanders, wie aus den Zahlen hervorgeht, die die Demokratische Partei veröffentlichte. Auf dem dritten Platz liegt die Senatorin Elizabeth Warren, dahinter auf einem schwachen vierten Platz der frühere Vizepräsident Joe Biden, der auf nationaler Ebene als Favorit gilt. Nach der Wahl am Montag gab es Probleme mit der Auszählung. Die Ergebnisse können noch angefochten werden. Der Fernsehsender CNN will nach eigenen Angaben erst nach dieser Frist am Freitag einen Sieger küren und auch erst dann, wenn es keinen Antrag auf Überprüfung gibt. (cck)
Wahlchaos bei den Demokraten
Dienstag, 4. Februar: Im US-Bundesstaat Iowa haben Republikaner und Demokraten über ihre Wunschkandidaten für die Präsidentschaftswahlen im Herbst abgestimmt. Bei den Republikanern gewann klar Präsident Donald Trump, allerdings auch ohne ernstzunehmenden Gegenkandidaten. Bei den Demokraten stehen die Ergebnisse auch Stunden nach den Abstimmungen noch nicht fest. Bei der Übermittlung soll es große Pannen gegeben haben. Mehr Informationen zur Vorwahl in Iowa. (saul)
Duell beim Super Bowl
Montag, 3. Februar: Es ist eines der größten Fernsehereignisse der Welt: der alljährliche Super Bowl, das Endspiel der Football-Liga NFL. 100 Millionen Amerikaner schauen zu, 30 Sekunden TV-Werbung kosten 5,6 Millionen Dollar. In diesem Jahr spielten auf dem Rasen die Kansas City Chiefs gegen die San Francisco 49ers. Und in der Werbepause kämpfte Donald Trump gegen Michael Bloomberg. Nachdem der Milliardär Bloomberg für zehn Millionen Dollar Sendezeit für seinen Wahlwerbespots eingekauft hatte, zog Trump nach. Für Bloomberg, der spät ins Kandidatenrennen der Demokraten eingestiegen ist, war es sicher ein wichtiger Moment. Wie das Duell der Politiker ausgeht, wird sich natürlich erst im Laufe des Jahres entscheiden. Auf dem Rasen jedenfalls gewann Kansas City. (ghe)
Delaney zieht sich aus dem Rennen zurück
Freitag, 31. Januar: Der ehemalige Abgeordnete John Delaney, hat seine Bewerbung zurückgezogen. Er gab für die Kandidatur sein Amt im Repräsentantenhaus auf, wo er die Bürger im 6. Wahlbezirk von Maryland vertrat und eher als Hinterbankler galt. Zuvor war Delaney Geschäftsmann, der zwei Unternehmen mitgründete, die es bis an die New Yorker Börse schafften. Er gehört zum Parteiestablishment, seine Kandidatur verlief eher unspektakulär. (cck)
Kampf zwischen den Demokraten und gegen Trump
Montag, 27. Januar: Während das Rennen zwischen den Demokraten in den landesweiten Umfragen enger wird, verfolgen die bereits gewählten Demokraten im Kongress in Washington ein Projekt: Das Impeachment gegen US-Präsident Trump. Die Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass die erforderliche Zweidrittel-Mehrheit im Senat zustande kommt, ist sehr gering, doch ein Ziel versuchen die Demokraten dennoch zu erreichen: Die aus ihrer Sicht unlauteren und unrechtmäßigen Handlungen des Präsidenten vor den Wählern offenzulegen und ihm so im Hinblick auf die Wahlen am 3. November zu schaden. Dabei hilft ihnen auch, dass Trumps ehemaliger Nationaler Sicherheitsberater John Bolton plant, ein Buch zu veröffentlichen, dessen Inhalt den Präsidenten im Bezug auf die Ukraine-Affäre schwer belastet. (bix)
Letztes TV-Duell vor den Vorwahlen
Mittwoch, 15. Januar: Knapp zwei Wochen vor dem Beginn der ersten Vorwahlen in Iowa trafen die Bewerber der Demokraten noch einmal vor laufender Kamera aufeinander. Dabei fehlte allerdings Michael Bloomberg, der auch erst beim Super Tuesday zur Wahl stehen wird. Nachdem sich Bernie Sanders und Elizabeth Warren bei den Diskussionen im Herbst noch schonten, attackierten sie sich nun erstmals direkt. Dabei dominierte die Frage, ob eine Frau überhaupt in der Lage sei, US-Präsident Trump ernsthaft herauszufordern. Warren entzog sich dieser Diskussion und verteilte stattdessen Spitzen gegen Sanders und Biden. (bix)
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