As Election Day approaches on Tuesday, Nov. 5, many voters believe that this is one of the most pivotal in history as our nation is facing some of the most extreme political polarization with significant social and economic disagreements between the parties. Understanding the character of the candidates’ as well as their policies and values has never been more important during this election where educated voting is absolutely crucial.
Understanding each candidate’s background is necessary. Democratic candidate Kamala Harris started her political career out as San Francisco’s District Attorney from 2004 until 2010. From there, she served as California’s first female attorney general. In 2016, Harris was elected to the US Senate becoming the first Indian American and second African American woman to serve in the Senate. In 2020, Harris was elected Vice President, making history as the first ever African American woman to hold the title. Throughout her career, Harris has been known for her advocacy on civil rights and justice as well as her ability to connect with diverse communities.
Prior to becoming president in 2016, Republican candidate Donald Trump grew up in New York City and made a household name for himself through major real estate developments and licensing his name through many products and businesses. Trump also had a television career as he hosted the reality TV show “The Apprentice.” In the 2016 election, Trump won the Republican nomination before winning the electoral vote against Hillary Clinton. In 2019, Trump was impeached for the first time and charged with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. He then ran again against current president Joe Biden in the 2021 election and lost. Again in 2021, he was impeached for the incitement of the January 6th attack on the Capitol building as he claimed the election was rigged and that he never lost.. This made him US president to be impeached twice. Additionally, Trump has also been found guilty on all 34 of his criminal charges making him a convicted felon.
Here are some of the candidates’ policies.
Tax Policies:
Harris and her running mate Tim Walz plan on creating a tax cut for middle class working families. They are committed to ensuring that no one earning less than $400,000 a year will pay more in taxes than those who make above that. They support raising taxes on the wealthy and for large corporations while reducing taxes on small businesses. She also plans to make rent and home ownership more affordable. For rent, she will sign legislation to outlaw new forms of price fixing by corporate landlords. For housing, her plan is to provide first time homeowners with $25,000 to help with their down payments.
Trump focuses on cutting taxes for the wealthy and large businesses and wants to shave a further percentage point off of corporate taxes. He also has many tax policy ideas. Some include extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, bringing back the deduction for state and local taxes, repealing green energy tax credits and imposing steep new tariffs.
Healthcare Policies:
Harris plans to expand and strengthen the Affordable Care Act. She wants to expand mental health services, home care services and increase the public health budget. Harris and Walz also advocate for women’s health and believe that women have the right to make decisions about their own bodies. Harris vows to restore Roe v. Wade so abortions are legal after Trump and his hand selected Supreme Court justices took away the right from the women of America.
While Trump’s policies on abortion have been inconsistent, he has consistently expressed his support of pro-life policies. He takes credit for overturning Roe v Wade and, while he considered a national abortion ban, he is now saying he will leave it to the states to descide. He has also committed to defund organizations like Planned Parenthood.
Environmental Policies:
Harris acknowledges the crisis of climate change and plans to act urgently to fix this issue by passing the Inflation Reduction Act. She also calls for investing in renewable energy.
Trump has repeatedly called climate change a “hoax.” However, during his last presidency, he rolled back many environmental policies like governing clean air, water, wildlife and toxic chemicals and plans to do the same.
Immigration Policies:
Harris supports an earned pathway to citizenship and emphasizes the importance of a fair and humane immigration system. Her plan addresses the root causes of migration while fostering transparency in the immigration process.
Trump’s “build a wall” was his signature slogan when he first ran in 2016. Today, he still holds the same values towards immigration. He has vowed to seal the border to stop immigration and has promised the largest mass deportation of undocumented migrants.
This election will likely be one of the closest contests in our nation’s history. The outcome will shape the pathway forward for our nation for years to come. In the last two elections, the victor won by less than one percent in the states that made the difference. Whether you believe so or not, your vote matters, so make sure to choose wisely.
