Campaign Commentary: Who is best fit for the job?

Maggie Randall

With the primary election season coming to a close, it is time to look towards what will come next in the 2016 Presidential Election.

There are just ten primary elections left until June 14. California will have their primary election on June 7 and will be crucial to both the Republican and Democratic candidates. There are 546 delegates for the Democrats, and 172 for the Republicans.

These last few primaries will be very important for Democratic candidate former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who is just 597 delegates away from having enough to be the nominee for her party.

Donald Trump is expected to be the nominee for the Republican party, but is still waiting for crucial support from party leadership.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said that he will support Trump if he ends up being the nominee, this is likely Sen. McConnell’s hope to reunite the Republican Party.

Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, has not yet supported Trump, and has spoken out against him in the past. In early May, Trump and Ryan met to discuss their differences on issues and policies. In a joint press release, they explained how they will come to compromises. But, can Trump really make compromises?

On the Democratic side, Clinton is expected to be the nominee. Sen. Bernie Sanders has put up a long fight, winning primary elections even into the summer. Even so, Clinton surpasses Sanders with super delegates, and has been endorsed far more often by senators, congressmen, and governors.

In July, the Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention will confirm the nominees from each party. The Republican National Convention will be held from July 18 to 21 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Democratic National Convention will shortly follow in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from July 25 to 28.

Once the nominees are chosen, this summer will be about finding vice-presidents. Candidates will have short-lists for vice president sometime over the summer, but the vice-president will likely formally be announced in August.

The first presidential debate is scheduled for Monday, September 26. Afterwards, two more presidential debates and one vice-presidential debate will follow in October.

The general election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 8. The last day to register to vote before the presidential election is usually about 30 days in advance. In some states, it is just 10 days before the election, and in Massachusetts it is 20 days before the election. To find when to register to vote in your home-state, go to rockthevote.com or contact your city or town hall.