Between the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump in June and current President Joe Biden dropping out of the 2024 presidential election just a few months before voters go to the polls, it has certainly been anything but a normal presidential campaign cycle.

For the purpose of this post, we will focus on the nominees for the two major political parties and their viewpoints on a select number of hot-button issues. And be sure to check out our Voting Rights & Election Law database, the perfect collection to research in before casting your vote!

Democratic Party

Presidential Nominee:
Kamala Harris

Current Title: Vice President of the United States
Age: 59
Hometown: Oakland, CA
Brief Resume: Before serving as vice president, Kamala Harris was Attorney General of California from 2011 to 2017 and served on the U.S. Senate from 2017 to 2021. She received her Juris Doctor in 1989 from University of California, Hastings College of Law and was district attorney of San Francisco for several years.

On the issues:

Abortion: Protecting the right to an abortion is one of Harris’s key campaign points. She supports legislation to codify this right in light of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022. In March 2024, she visited a Planned Parenthood, becoming the first vice president or president to visit an abortion-providing clinic.

Climate: Harris’s campaign spokesperson has said that Harris would build upon the climate regulations included in Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. As district attorney in San Francisco and as California Attorney General, Harris had a reputation of climate-protecting policies, such as protecting California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.^[1]California – 2006 Summary Digest 3. This act can be found in HeinOnline’s Session Laws Library. She has been endorsed by a number of climate activism groups.

Economy: While on the campaign trail, Harris has emphasized building up the middle class and decreasing cost of living. She stated, “We believe in a future where every person has the opportunity to build a business, to own a home, to build intergenerational wealth — a future with affordable health care, affordable child care, paid leave.” She also has made an effort to meet with small business owners.

Foreign Policy: Harris has emphasized that she backs providing support to Ukraine, will work toward a ceasefire and all hostages returned in the Israel-Hamas war, and she has targeted human rights abuses in China, co-sponsoring the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act^[2]Public Law 116-144, 116 P.L. United States 134 STAT. 646 (2019-2021). This act can be found in HeinOnline’s U.S. Statutes at Large database. in 2019.

Gun Control: As vice president, Harris has spoken with community leaders across the country addressing gun violence. She supports background checks, red flag laws, and a ban on assault weapons.

Healthcare: Harris has repeatedly fought to prevent the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. When she ran for president initially in 2019, she supported a Medicare for All policy.^[3]Allison K. Hoffman, How a Pandemic plus Recession Foretell the Post-Job-Based Horizon of Health Insurance, 71 DEPAUL L. REV. 331 (2022). This article can be found in HeinOnline’s Law Journal Library. More recently, she has stressed the importance of making healthcare more affordable and accessible as well as capping prices on some medications.

Immigration: While working in California, Harris had mixed policies on immigration, in some ways working to protect immigrants, while in others taking a tough stance. She recently stated at a rally, “I went after transnational gangs, drug cartels and human traffickers that came into our country illegally. I prosecuted them in case after case, and I won.” She has supported bolstering Border Patrol and immigration courts, but also supports creating an easier path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

LGBTQ+ Issues: While AG for California, Harris did not defend Proposition 8,^[4]Hadar Aviram, The House Always Wins: Doctrine and Animus in California’s COVID-19 Prison Litigation, 72 CASE W. RES. L. REV. 565 (2022). This article can be found in HeinOnline’s Law Journal Library. which was a state ballot measure to prohibit same-sex marriage. She also selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who is a long-time LGBTQ+ ally, as her running mate.

——

Vice Presidential Nominee:
Tim Walz

Current Title: Governor of Minnesota
Age: 60
Hometown: West Point, NE
Brief Resume: Tim Walz is a U.S. veteran, having served in the National Guard for 24 years. He also worked in a factory before becoming a geography teacher and football coach at Mankato West High School. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019, when he was elected Governor of Minnesota.

On the issues:

Abortion: In 2023, Walz signed a bill to protect the right to abortion in Minnesota^[5]State Session Laws – Minnesota 23. This act can be found in HeinOnline’s Session Laws Library. regardless of the future composition of the state’s courts. This law made Minnesota the first state to codify access to abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Climate: Walz has supported several initiatives to combat climate change throughout his governorship. For example, last year, he signed a bill that requires all power plants in Minnesota to use 100% clean energy^[6]State Session Laws – Minnesota 25. This act can be found in HeinOnline’s Session Laws Library. by 2040, as well as created a subcabinet focused on climate change during his first year as governor.

Economy: While governor, Walz has passed laws providing paid sick and medical leave for workers,^[7]State Session Laws – Minnesota 59. This act can be found in HeinOnline’s Session Laws Library. introduced a child tax credit, and increased taxes for the wealthy and corporations. He is supported by a number of labor unions, such as the AFL-CIO. He also passed a law providing free meals for all public school students.^[8]State Session Laws – Minnesota 1879. This act can be found in HeinOnline’s Session Laws Library.

Foreign Policy: In terms of the Israel-Hamas war, Walz has said, “You can hold competing things: That Israel has the right to defend itself, and the atrocities of October 7 are unacceptable, but Palestinian civilians being caught in this … has got to end.” He has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and criticized human rights abuses in China, which he witnessed first hand when he taught there for a year.

Gun Control: While in Congress, Walz, who is an avid hunter, advocated for gun rights and had an A rating from the National Rifle Association. However, after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida in 2018, his views on gun control changed. He supported a bump stocks ban and an assault rifle ban, and while Minnesota governor, signed gun safety legislation including universal background checks^[9]State Session Laws – Minnesota 810. This act can be found in HeinOnline’s Session Laws Library. and a red flag law.

Healthcare: Walz is a supporter of the Affordable Care Act and as Minnesota governor has increased funding for mental health care,^[10]State Session Laws – Minnesota 708 This act can be found in HeinOnline’s Session Laws Library. made it easier for residents to buy insurance and afford health care,^[11]State Session Laws – Minnesota 3471. This act can be found in HeinOnline’s Session Laws Library., reduced prescription drug prices in the state, and passed legislation to protect residents from medical debt.

Immigration: While governor, Walz passed legislation that provided health insurance to immigrants regardless of documentation,^[12]State Session Laws – Minnesota 3471. This act can be found in HeinOnline’s Session Laws Library. and allowed undocumented immigrants to receive free tuition at a state university and be eligible for driver’s licenses. He has also spoken with Democratic Congressional leaders to advocate for creating a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants. Minnesota accepted refugees under his governorship.

LGBTQ+ Issues: Walz is known for being a long-time LGBTQ+ ally. While teaching and coaching football at Mankato West High School in rural Minnesota in the 1990s, Walz helped students create the school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance. He passed laws in Minnesota that protect access to gender-affirming healthcare^[13]State Session Laws – Minnesota 286. This act can be found in HeinOnline’s Session Laws Library. and ban conversion therapy, and ran on a same-sex marriage platform when running for Congress, at a time when only one state had legalized it.

Republican Party

Presidential Nominee:
Donald Trump

Current Title: former President of the United States, owner of the Trump Organization
Age: 78
Hometown: Queens, NY
Brief Resume: After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1968, Trump took over his father’s real estate business and has had a variety of successful and unsuccessful business ventures since then. For 11 years, he co-produced and hosted the TV show The Apprentice. He served as president of the United States from 2016 to 2021 and lost his re-election campaign in 2020.

On the issues:

Abortion: Trump has stated that he does not support a federal abortion ban and prefers to leave the choice up to the states, inspiring the Republican National Committee to alter their party platform which previously called for a nationwide ban. Trump appointed three of the six Supreme Court justices^[14]Earl M. Maltz, The Long Road to Dobbs, 50 HASTINGS CONST. L.Q. 3 (2023). This article can be found in HeinOnline’s Law Journal Library. who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Climate: Trump has long supported the fossil fuel industry, increasing America’s oil and gas production,^[15]Unleashing the Power of American Energy, 2019 Economic Report of the President 247 (2019). This article can be found in HeinOnline’s U.S. Presidential Library. and decreasing environmental regulations, as well as rolling back several of the Biden administration’s climate protections.

Economy: Trump has stated that he wants to prioritize reducing inflation. He has proposed policies similar to those he advocated for in his first presidential term, such as reconsidering existing trade agreements,^[16]The President’s Trade Policy Agenda, 2017 Trade Policy Agenda and Annual Report of the President of the United States on the Trade Agreements Program 1 (2017-2018). This document can be found in HeinOnline’s U.S. International Trade … Continue reading instating tariffs, cutting federal income taxes and taxes on corporations,^[17]Josh White, No Room for Doubt: The ‘Race to the Bottom’ Is on, 29 INT’l TAX REV. 17 (2018). This article can be found in HeinOnline’s Law Journal Library. and decreasing the number of immigrants in the country through deportations and increasing security at the Mexican border.

Foreign Policy: During his presidency, Trump promoted an “America First” policy,^[18]Genevieve Dufour & Delphine Ducasse, “America First” and the Return of Economic Isolationism and Nationalism to the United States: A Historic Turning Point for International Trade Law, 57 CAN. … Continue reading focusing on prioritizing U.S. interests in international matters. He was critical of NATO, advocated for reduced U.S. spending on Ukraine aid, and supported withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accords. Trump also proposed significantly raising taxes on Chinese imports and expressed a willingness to engage with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.^[19]Anthony J. Gaughan, Putin’s Revenge: The Foreign Threat to American Campaign Finance Law, 62 HOWARD L.J. 855 (2019). This article can be found in HeinOnline’s Law Journal Library.

Gun Control: Trump has long supported gun rights. While president, he reversed an Obama-era law^[20]Public Law 115-74, Joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to “Arbitration Agreements”, 115 P.L. … Continue reading that made it more difficult for those with mental illness to buy guns. However, his administration also banned bump stocks^[21]Tess Saperstein, High Caliber, Yet under Fire: The Case for Deference to ATF Rulemaking, 26 N.Y.U. J. LEGIS. & PUB. POL’y 483 (2024). This article can be found in HeinOnline’s Law Journal Library. after a 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas—although this law would be ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.^[22]Garland v. Cargill. 602 US _ (2024). This case can be found in Fastcase. Trump has stated that he would reverse all gun restrictions passed by Biden.

Healthcare: During his presidency, Trump passed a series of executive orders^[23]Elizabeth Van Nostrand & Tina Batra Hershey, I Walk in, Sign. I Don’t Have to Go through Congress. President Trump’s Use of Executive Orders to Unravel the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, … Continue reading aimed at dismantling aspects of Obama’s Affordable Care Act. Recently, Trump has promised not to cut Social Security, Medicare, or the federal retirement age.

Immigration: Trump has taken advantage of Americans’ dissatisfaction with the Biden administration’s handling of immigration issues. Trump has referred to illegal immigration as an “invasion that is killing hundreds of thousands of people a year” and has promised to begin a large-scale deportation operation, as well as significantly limiting legal immigration. During his first presidential campaign, he rallied voters behind his border wall plan.^[24]Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha & Kenlea Barnes, The Immigration Rhetoric of Donald Trump, 51 PRESIDENTIAL STUD. Q. 781 (2021). This article can be found in HeinOnline’s Law Journal Library.

LGBTQ+ Issues: Trump has expressed opposition to gender-affirming care for minors^[25]Sarah Steadman, Then They Came for Us: Access to Justice Harm and Opportunity for Our Transgender and Nonbinary Youth, 26 SCHOLAR 1 (2024). This article can be found in HeinOnline’s Law Journal Library. and the participation of transgender individuals on sports teams corresponding to their gender identity. He has also supported eliminating DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs and issued an executive order^[26]Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2020 Executive Order 13950-Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping , Daily Comp. Pres. Docs. 1 (2020). This executive order can be found in HeinOnline’s Federal Register Library. in 2020 seeking to “combat race and sex stereotyping.”

——

Vice Presidential Nominee:
JD Vance

Current Title: junior U.S. senator from Ohio
Age: 40
Hometown: Middletown, OH
Brief Resume: Vance served from 2003 to 2007 in the US Marine Corps. He graduated from Yale Law School in 2013, where he was an editor of The Yale Law Journal. He was a venture capitalist and published a memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, in 2020. He was elected to the United States Senate in 2022.

On the issues:

Abortion: In 2022, Vance stated that he wanted a national abortion ban. However, more recently, he has taken Trump’s view on allowing states to decide their own abortion regulations. Last year, he stated, “We have to accept that people do not want blanket abortion bans.”

Climate: In the past, Vance supported and even invested in the use of clean energy to help protect the environment, but he changed his views while running for Senate. He has since supported fracking, criticized clean energy and EPA regulations, and introduced the “Drive American Act”^[27]Cong. Rec. HB1 (2023). This document can be found in HeinOnline’s U.S. Congressional Documents database. which would repeal the federal tax credit for electric vehicles and replace it with a tax credit for gasoline or diesel cars created in the U.S.

Economy: Vance has supported Trump’s protectionist trade policies. However, Vance does not have typical conservative views when it comes to the economy—he opposes free trade, supports using federal power to increase manufacturing and create domestic jobs, supports antitrust policies, and has supported increasing the federal minimum wage. He also has invested in cryptocurrency. In 2023, he worked with progressive Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren to combat corruption on Wall Street.

Foreign Policy: Vance opposed the Ukraine military aid package passed by the Biden administration in April, expressing concerns about the level of support provided by NATO allies. He has been critical of the Iraq War, despite being a veteran of that conflict. Recently, he emphasized the importance of preventing a potential Chinese invasion. Vance has also expressed strong support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas, stating that Israel should “finish the job.”

Gun Control: Vance has largely opposed gun control regulations. He doesn’t support universal background checks, red flag laws, or banning bump stocks, believing that these issues are not the source of America’s mass shootings. He has also supported abolishing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

Healthcare: In the past, JD Vance has opposed repealing the Affordable Care Act and supported Medicare drug price negotiations. He has advocated for ensuring that low-income Americans can afford health care—in 2022, he said, “I’ve always been one of these people who says, we’re not going to let people die on the streets. We’re the richest country in the world, and we can’t let people die from preventable illnesses because of lack of health care. Broadly speaking, we could do a lot better job on that in this country.” Because of his own family’s struggles with addiction, he advocates for combatting the opioid crisis.

Immigration: Vance has referred to the U.S.-Mexico border as a crisis and an “invasion,”^[28]Brendan Williams, Divided We Fall: The Concerted Attack on U.S. Democracy, 59 WILLAMETTE L. REV. 121 (2023). This article can be found in HeinOnline’s Law Journal Library. and has supported Trump’s plans for large-scale deportation. He has also cited illegal immigration as the reason behind housing and job shortages.

LGBTQ+ Issues: Last year, Vance introduced the Protect Children’s Innocence Act,^[29]Cong. Rec. H.B.1 (2023). This document can be found in HeinOnline’s U.S. Congressional Documents database. which seeks to restrict access to transgender healthcare nationwide. He also introduced the Passport Sanity Act,^[30]169 Cong. Rec. S4921 (2023). This document can be found in HeinOnline’s U.S. Congressional Documents database. aimed at eliminating the option for ‘X’ gender markers on U.S. passports. In the past, he has posted on social media, “I’ll stop calling people ‘groomers’ when they stop freaking out about bills that prevent the sexualization of my children,” and he has also supported preventing gender and sexual orientation discussions in schools.

Prepare for the Election & Know Your Voting Rights!

Did you know that HeinOnline has a dedicated Voting Rights & Election Law database? It’s the perfect collection to get ready for election day. Browse and search through a collection of thousands of subject-coded titles that illustrate the nuances and complexities of elections and voting systems—the lifeblood of democracy—both in America and across the globe. It contains a Most-Cited Authors compilation, Brennan Center for Justice and American Law Institute Publications, books, government documents, scholarly articles, and so much more. And, it’s available for a low, one-time price!

And stay tuned for a future post specifically on Project 2025, an agenda developed by the Heritage Foundation and several Trump allies as a plan to reshape the federal government in a future Trump presidency.