Presidential nominee facts for kids

The term presidential nominee is used in United States politics to mean a few different things. It can describe someone a political party chooses to run for president of the United States. It can also mean a person a sitting president picks for an important government job.

What is a Presidential Nominee?

In the United States, the term "presidential nominee" has two main meanings:

The Party's Pick for President

When a political party wants to choose its candidate for president, it holds a big meeting called a national convention. At this convention, people called delegates (who are representatives from each state) vote to pick the party's official candidate for president. This chosen person is then called the party's presidential nominee. They will represent their party in the main United States presidential election.

The President's Choice for a Job

The term "presidential nominee" can also mean someone a sitting U.S. president chooses for an important government job. These jobs can be in the president's team (like a cabinet secretary) or as a federal judge. For these people to get the job, the Senate must agree to the president's choice. This process is called "advice and consent."

What is a Presumptive Nominee?

Before a party officially picks its candidate at the national convention, there's often a "presumptive nominee." This is a presidential candidate who has won enough support and votes in earlier elections (called primaries or caucuses) to be almost certain to become their party's official nominee. They are expected to be chosen, but the formal nomination hasn't happened yet at the big convention.