FACTBOX-Democratic candidates running for US president in 2024

U.S. President Joe Biden, who took office in early 2021, faces little opposition in his bid for the Democratic Party nomination in the 2024 presidential election. With former President Donald Trump the frontrunner in the Republican Party's nominating race, Biden's strong position in the Democratic primary sets up a likely repeat of the 2020 presidential election battle.

U.S. President Joe Biden, who took office in early 2021, faces little opposition in his bid for the Democratic Party nomination in the 2024 presidential election. With former President Donald Trump the frontrunner in the Republican Party's nominating race, Biden's strong position in the Democratic primary sets up a likely repeat of the 2020 presidential election battle. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., formerly in the Democratic race, will now be an independent candidate, potentially taking votes away from both Biden and Trump. Jill Stein is once again vying to run on the Green Party's ticket.

Here are the leading candidates running to be the Democratic nominee: JOE BIDEN Biden, 81, already the oldest U.S. president ever, will have to convince voters he has the stamina for another four years in office, amid concerns about his age and poor approval ratings. Biden allies say he believes he is the only Democratic candidate who can defeat Trump. In announcing his candidacy, Biden declared it was his job to defend American democracy, and referred to the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters. Vice President Kamala Harris is again his running mate. The economy will factor in his reelection campaign. While the U.S. escaped an expected recession and is growing faster than economists expected, inflation hit 40-year highs in 2022 and the cost of food and gas is weighing on voters.

Biden has led the response of Western governments to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, persuading allies to sanction Russia and support Kyiv. He now faces the challenge of getting additional funds approved by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. His administration has also been supportive of Israel in the conflict against Hamas militants in Gaza, but Biden has faced hecklers at events and calls from some within his party to push for a ceasefire. At home, he has pushed through massive economic stimulus and infrastructure spending packages to boost U.S. industrial output, although he has received little recognition from voters for the latter. Biden's handling of immigration policy has been criticized by Republicans and Democrats as migrant crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border hit record highs during his administration.

MARIANNE WILLIAMSON The best-selling author and self-help guru Marianne Williamson, 71, has launched her second, long-shot bid for the White House on a platform of "justice and love." She ran as a Democrat in the 2020 presidential primary but dropped out of the race before any votes had been cast. She launched her latest campaign on March 23 and will be on the ballot in the New Hampshire primary. DEAN PHILLIPS

Dean Phillips, a little-known U.S. congressman from Minnesota, announced in October he would mount a long-shot challenge to Biden because he does not believe the president can win another term. The 54-year-old millionaire businessman and gelato company co-founder announced his bid in a one-minute video posted online, saying: "We've got some challenges. ... We're going to repair this economy, and we are going to repair America."

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)