Despite his unpopularity, Walker was renominated with no meaningful opposition, while Bernie Sanders defeated Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, and Elizabeth Warren in the Democratic primaries. Sanders chose Julian Castro as his running mate in order to appeal to Hispanic voters, and contested the general election on Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and a living wage and greater regulation of Wall Street.

Given Walker's lack of charisma, Sanders had a major chance of winning the election, but Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz reacted to his nomination by running as an independent with Admiral James Stavridis as a running mate. Schultz ran as a centrist Democrat, promising a public option and continued free trade.

Walker's general election strategy consisted of attacking Sanders as a dangerous communist out to destroy America. Republicans highlighted Sanders' praise of Cuba's literacy programs, his self-description as a democratic socialist, and an essay he wrote during the 1970s.

These attacks had the effect of dragging the campaign down the gutter. The presidential debates between Walker and Sanders (Schultz having been excluded) were heated and had little substantial policy discussion; despite the split in the Democratic vote, by election day, Sanders and Walker were neck and neck.

The vote splitting did Sanders in, allowing Walker to be reelected with 275 electoral votes and 47% of the vote versus 263 electoral votes and 45% of the vote for Sanders. Schultz won 10 million votes and 6% of the vote, with his 2% in Walker's home state of Wisconsin tipping the scale.

Walker's second term proved disastrous for America, allowing Democrats to win 2024 by a comfortable margin.