In 2024, six prominent political figures rose to prominence, while others fell from grace.

In 2024, as the year drew to a close, several "winners" and "losers" emerged after the Republicans gained control of Congress in the November election and several prominent Democrats suffered defeat.

WINNER - President-elect Donald Trump

After leaving office, Trump was largely dismissed by pundits in the media as his political career being over due to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and House impeachments. However, his situation worsened when he faced indictments in multiple jurisdictions and clashed with prominent Republicans during the GOP primary.

In November, Trump won back the White House after surviving two assassination attempts and weathering a political storm, earning him the title of having the greatest political comeback in American history.

On Jan. 20, Trump will be inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States, with the support of Republican control in the House and Senate for the next two years.

LOSER - VP Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz

This summer, President Biden made history by withdrawing from the presidential race under pressure from his party members and effectively transferring power to his vice president, despite calls for an open primary process.

Despite months of campaigning and a $1 billion spending spree, Harris was unable to convince voters to support the continuation of Biden-Harris administration policies for another four years.

Trump won the popular vote and Electoral College, while Republicans retained control of the House and regained control of the Senate.

Harris faced criticism for choosing Walz as her running mate, with many experts arguing that Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro would have been a better fit. Walz was praised for his personable and popular demeanor, but his gaffes and controversial statements about his military service brought negative attention to the campaign.

According to Rob Bluey, president and executive editor of the Daily Signal, who spoke to Planet Chronicle Digital last month, historically, vice presidents have minimal influence on a presidential candidate's outcome.

"In the case of Tim Walz, Kamala Harris's decision to choose him as her vice presidential running mate proved to be a disaster. Walz was not prepared for the national spotlight and media scrutiny, and Harris passed over several better options. Given how little Americans knew about Harris or her policy positions, they were right to question her judgment on this big decision."

WINNER - Elon Musk

The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX publicly endorsed Trump after the former president survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania in July.

At the assassination attempt site, Musk was a frequent presence on the campaign trail and delivered a speech.

"At the October rally, Musk joked, "I am not just MAGA, I am Dark MAGA," referencing the Dark Brandon meme. He emphasized the importance of the upcoming Nov. 5 election, stating it as "the most important election of our lifetime.""

In recent months, Musk has emerged as a significant figure in the Trump administration and has frequently been spotted at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, with some sources suggesting that he resides there. As a result, liberal commentators have labeled him the "co-president."

Trump appointed Musk and Ramaswamy to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, which aims to reduce government waste and has gained support from elected officials on both sides of the aisle.

LOSER - George Soros

In California, the Soros money machine that supports progressive politicians and district attorneys lost significant funding as voters rejected progressive candidates on the issue of crime.

Prop 36, which was advertised as progressive crime reforms, was rolled back by California voters, who overwhelmingly voted against key provisions of Proposition 47.

Proposition 47, passed in 2014, reduced most thefts from felonies to misdemeanors if the stolen amount was under $950, except for defendants with prior convictions of murder, rape, certain sex offenses, or certain gun crimes.

In Los Angeles, District Attorney George Gascón, who supported Prop 47 and received funding from Soros, lost his re-election bid to former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman, with crime being a major concern in the election cycle.

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price was recalled after two years in office due to criticism of her alleged soft-on-crime approach, which was backed by Soros-funded prosecutors.

After facing criticism from her constituents over rising crime, Oakland Democrat Mayor Sheng Thao was removed from office following a successful recall effort that received 65% of the vote.

In San Francisco, where crime has been a significant issue with voters, Democrat Mayor London Breed lost her re-election campaign.

According to Cully Stimson, senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation and co-author of "Rogue Prosecutors," the message is more than just a statement from people concerned about crime.

"The general population is urgently calling for the return of their state, counties, and cities, as well as an end to the failed social experiments that have been ongoing for too long."

WINNER - Vice President-elect JD Vance

During the presidential election cycle, left-wing pundits commonly believed that Trump's VP candidate, Ohio GOP Senator JD Vance, would turn off voters due to his perceived unlikable personality.

Despite the narrative, Vance emerged as a powerful figure in conservative politics, making appearances on podcasts, holding regular press conferences, and delivering a winning debate performance according to several polls.

When Vance joined Trump on the ticket, he had a 34% favorability rating. However, this number increased over the following months, with Real Clear Politics reporting in mid-November that his favorability rating had risen to 44%.

Semafor reported that Rachel Maddow of MSNBC believed people would be more unsettled by JD Vance.

In November, Vance, 40, will become the third-youngest vice president in American history, and is seen as a potential contender for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination as Trump is barred from running again due to the Constitution.

Donald Trump Jr. stated on the campaign trail in October that the country would have four more years of Trump followed by eight years of JD Vance.

The MAGA base adores the younger Trump, who is a strong ally of the vice president-elect.

According to longtime Republican consultant Dave Carney, the vice president will be in the catbird seat.

LOSER - Democrat Senate incumbents

In their quest to gain control of the Senate, Republicans managed to remove several long-serving Democrats from their seats.

Since 2007, Sen. Sherrod Brown had represented Ohio in the Senate until he lost to businessman Bernie Moreno in November. Despite being considered one of the most vulnerable members of the Senate, Brown tried to present himself as a moderate to Ohio voters, but they still voted for Moreno in a state that Trump won by 11 points.

Since 2007, Democrat Senator Bob Casey, a prominent figure in Pennsylvania politics, has represented the state in the Senate and was considered one of the toughest incumbents to defeat until he lost to GOP challenger Dave McCormick in November.

A 59-year-old businessman, McCormick, won the election by a narrow margin of 0.2% with Trump's endorsement and dissatisfaction with the economy under Biden and Harris' leadership.

McCormick stated after the election that the recurring message he heard was the need for change. The country was moving in the wrong direction, and leadership was required to revive the economy and control the inflation.

In November 2020, Montana Sen. Jon Tester, who had been a Democrat in the Senate since 2007, faced a similar outcome as he lost his seat to former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy.

In recent years, Tester has adopted more moderate positions, publicly disagreeing with the Biden-Harris administration on several issues. However, this was not enough to sway voters in Montana, as Trump won the election by nearly 20 points.

This report was contributed to by David Rutz, Paul Steinhauser, and Cortney O'Brien of Planet Chronicle Digital.