2024 in the United States


The following is a list of events of the year 2024 in the United States.
With the dominant political story of the year being the 2024 presidential election, most American-focused media outlets routinely covered the nominees. Former president Donald Trump became the second president in American history to win two nonconsecutive terms, defeating Democratic vice president Kamala Harris, who became her party's nominee after incumbent president Joe Biden withdrew from the race. Much of the national media paid close attention to Trump's civil and criminal trials, as well as two assassination attempts on Trump: one in July and one in September.
American politics also focused on responses to the Israel's ongoing war on Gaza that started in the year prior, recent developments in abortion policy, and the passing of a law that de jure banned TikTok in January of the following year.
The Federal Trade Commission, under chair Lina Khan, also played a more proactive role in the economics of the U.S., with Khan blocking many mergers and acquisitions, including one between airlines JetBlue and Spirit. In business, the American economy underwent a bull market, with Nvidia in particular, due to demand for its chips in the use of artificial intelligence, becoming the third largest publicly traded company by market capitalization, and partially enabling major American stock indices such as the S&P 500 to achieve record highs. Nvidia's success story, though, was contrasted by a series of safety failures, malfunctions, and crashes involving passenger aircraft designed and assembled by Boeing, among the most notable of which was Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 in which a door plug blew out. Additionally, Spirit Airlines, radio operator Audacy, for-profit hospital chain Steward Health Care System, retailers Jo-Ann Stores and rue21, restaurant chains Red Lobster and TGI Fridays, bussing company Coach USA, electric vehicle maker Fisker, and food storage container firm Tupperware have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Several major hurricanes and tornado outbreaks occurred across the United States during the year, including the tornado outbreak sequence of May 19–27, Hurricane Helene, and Hurricane Milton.

Incumbents

Federal government

Governors

Lieutenant governors

Elections

The US general elections were held on November 5 of this year. In the federal government, the offices up for election were president, vice president, all 435 seats of the House of Representatives, and roughly one third of the Senate. In this year's presidential election, Joe Biden ran for a second term. With former president Donald Trump's declaration to run for the office again and both he and Biden were their respective parties' presumptive presidential nominees, the election would have been a rematch of the 2020 election. On July 21, 2024, however, President Biden announced his withdrawal from the presidential race and endorsed his vice president Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. In the Senate, at least seven seats, those of Senators Tom Carper from Delaware, Mike Braun from Indiana, Ben Cardin from Maryland, Debbie Stabenow from Michigan, Bob Menendez from New Jersey, Mitt Romney from Utah, and Joe Manchin from West Virginia, will be open contests; the seat of the late Dianne Feinstein is also expected to be an open contest with Feinstein's immediate successor, Laphonza Butler, expected not to seek a full term.
Concerning state governments, 11 states and two territories will hold gubernatorial elections, and most states and territories will hold elections for their legislatures. Many major cities, including Baltimore, Las Vegas, Honolulu, Milwaukee, Miami, Phoenix, San Diego, and San Francisco will also elect their mayors.

Special elections

  • February 13 – Republican George Santos was expelled from the House of Representatives in December 2023 after an investigation for corruption charges, vacating. In the special election, Democrat Tom Suozzi reclaimed his former seat against Republican Mazi Melesa Pilip, flipping the swing district and narrowing the margin of Republican control in Congress.
  • April 30 – A special election was held in after Brian Higgins resigned to become president of Shea's Performing Arts Center in Buffalo. Democrat Tim Kennedy was elected to succeed him.
  • May 21 – Republican Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted from his position as speaker of the House in October 2023, resigned from Congress at the end of the year. In the special election for, Republican Vince Fong defeated fellow Republican Mike Boudreaux in a runoff to succeed McCarthy.
  • June 11 – A special election was held for following the resignation of Bill Johnson, who accepted the position of president of Youngstown State University. Republican Michael Rulli defeated Democrat Michael Kripchak by a smaller margin than expected.
  • June 25 – A special election was held for after Republican Ken Buck resigned early after initially announcing his retirement at the end of the term. Republican Greg Lopez won the election against Democrat Trisha Calvarese and Libertarian Hannah Goodman.
  • September 18 – Democrat Donald Payne Jr. of died in April 2024 following a heart attack caused by complications of diabetes. Democrat LaMonica McIver defeated Republican Carmen Bucco in the special election for the fully urban district.
  • November 5
  • * Following the death of California senator Dianne Feinstein in September 2023, governor Gavin Newsom called for a special election to be held concurrently with the scheduled regular election for the same seat. Democrat Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey advanced to the general election through a nonpartisan blanket primary.
  • * Nebraska will hold a special election for its Class 2 Senate seat following the resignation of Ben Sasse in January 2023 to serve as president of the University of Florida. Incumbent Republican senator Pete Ricketts, who was appointed by Governor Jim Pillen, is running for a full term and will face Democrat Preston Love Jr. in the general election.
  • * Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee died from pancreatic cancer in July 2024 while serving her 15th term in. The sole Democratic candidate for the special election is Erica Lee Carter, the daughter of Jackson Lee.
  • * Republican Mike Gallagher, who chaired the recently formed House Select Committee on China, resigned from Congress in April 2024 over his opposition to the impeachment of Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The special election for will be held between Republican Tony Wied and Democrat Kristin Lyerly.

    Events

January