2016 United States elections

2016 United States elections
Gage · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Election name	2016 United States elections
Country	United States
Type	Presidential, Congressional, Gubernatorial
Date	November 8, 2016
Previous	2012 United States elections
Next	2020 United States elections

2016 United States elections were held on November 8, 2016, encompassing the presidential election, congressional races, gubernatorial contests, and numerous state and local contests across the United States. The cycle featured major-party nominees Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and extensive primary battles involving figures such as Bernie Sanders, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, John Kasich, Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, Mike Pence, Tim Kaine, and Gary Johnson. The outcomes reshaped control of the United States Senate and produced high-profile shifts in state governments, influencing policy debates involving institutions like the Supreme Court of the United States, the Federal Reserve, and the Department of Justice.

Background and Context

The 2016 cycle followed the 2012 elections and was framed by lingering effects of events such as the Great Recession, the Affordable Care Act, and foreign-policy developments including the Iraq War, the Syrian Civil War, and the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Key political actors included party organizations like the Republican National Committee, the Democratic National Committee, and interest groups such as the National Rifle Association, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and the American Civil Liberties Union. Media institutions including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Fox News, CNN, NBC News, ABC News, and MSNBC played central roles in debates over candidates, while technology platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and Google influenced outreach and advertising strategies. International actors including the Russian Federation, the People's Republic of China, the European Union, and NATO were invoked in campaign rhetoric and post-election analysis.

Federal Elections

Presidential: The general election contest featured Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, with running mates Mike Pence and Tim Kaine respectively. Third-party and independent figures included Gary Johnson, Jill Stein, Evan McMullin, and Darrell Castle. The Electoral College, comprising electors from states such as Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Michigan, decided the presidency, while the popular vote was tallied nationally.

Congressional: All 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives were contested, with notable campaigns involving incumbents like Paul Ryan, Nancy Pelosi, John Boehner, Steny Hoyer, Kevin McCarthy, and challengers in districts across Texas, California, New York, Illinois, and Florida. Thirty-four seats in the United States Senate were contested, including marquee races in Arizona, Nevada, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Ohio, featuring candidates such as Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Cory Gardner, Deb Fischer, Roy Blunt, and Pat Toomey.

Judicial and appointments: The president-elect’s ability to shape the Supreme Court of the United States and federal judiciary was a central issue, with attention on justices like Antonin Scalia, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan in debates about future vacancies.

State and Local Elections

Gubernatorial: Gubernatorial contests in states such as Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, Florida, Pennsylvania, Texas, California, and New York drew high attention, featuring governors like Scott Walker, Rick Scott, Jerry Brown, Andrew Cuomo, Chris Christie, John Kasich, and Phil Bryant.

State legislatures and ballot measures: State legislative chambers in North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Arizona were central to redistricting and policy debates. Ballot initiatives on issues including cannabis legalization in California, Massachusetts, Nevada, Maine, and Arizona; minimum wage increases in Arkansas and Colorado; and criminal-justice reforms in various states involved organizations such as Ballot Initiative Strategy Center and campaigns led by figures like Evan McMullin and groups including Citizens United opponents and supporters.

Municipal and local offices: Mayoral races in major cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Philadelphia intersected with national themes. Local referenda in counties and municipalities addressed transportation projects, pension reforms, and policing oversight involving police departments such as the New York City Police Department and Chicago Police Department.

Key Issues and Campaigns

Economics and trade: Debates involved policies on the North American Free Trade Agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, taxation proposals by candidates like Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, and positions advocated by think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation and Brookings Institution.

Healthcare and social policy: The Affordable Care Act and proposals for its repeal or modification, stances by politicians such as Bernie Sanders on single-payer concepts, positions of organizations like Kaiser Family Foundation, and debates over reproductive rights involving Planned Parenthood shaped voter decisions.

Foreign policy and national security: Issues included relations with the Russian Federation, Iran, and responses to the Syrian Civil War, terrorism incidents linked to ISIS, and intelligence assessments by the Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Trade disputes, NATO commitments, and interactions with leaders such as Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Barack Obama, and Angela Merkel were frequently referenced.

Social movements and culture wars: Campaigns engaged with movements including Black Lives Matter, debates over immigration policy referencing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and controversies involving media personalities such as Sean Hannity, Rachel Maddow, Bill O'Reilly, Anderson Cooper, and Megyn Kelly.

Voter Turnout and Demographics

Turnout patterns were analyzed by organizations like the Pew Research Center and the United States Census Bureau, with demographic breakdowns by age, race, education, and geography in states such as Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Coalitions mobilized by Labor unions including the AFL–CIO, advocacy groups such as National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and League of Women Voters, and partisan organizations like the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and National Republican Congressional Committee influenced turnout among groups including African American voters, Latino voters, white working-class voters, suburban women, and young voters inspired by figures like Bernie Sanders and organizations such as Rock the Vote.

Controversies and Investigations

Campaign controversies included the DNC email leak involving the Democratic National Committee, the use of private email servers by Hillary Clinton, and the role of foreign actors in information operations attributed to agencies in the Russian Federation and reported by the United States Intelligence Community. Investigations and inquiries engaged institutions such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and later investigations by special counsel offices. Legal disputes involved campaign finance rules administered by the Federal Election Commission, litigation in courts including the Supreme Court of the United States and various United States District Courts, and debates over the Electoral College procedures originating in the United States Constitution. Allegations about social media manipulation prompted responses from Facebook, Twitter Inc., and Google LLC, and subsequent policy changes by those companies.

2016