By Ross Colvin
(Reuters) – Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will announce his campaign to run for president on Wednesday, challenging his former boss Donald Trump in a growing list of Republicans seeking to unseat Democratic President Joe Biden.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie declared his candidacy on Tuesday and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is expected to announce his campaign on Wednesday.
Here is a list of Republican hopefuls of 2024.
DONALD’S TRUMP
Trump, 76, announced his election campaign last November as he faced some of the strongest criticism to date from within his Republican Party for his support for far-right candidates who have been defeated in the election. mid-term. Like Biden, he remains unpopular with large sections of the electorate. But he maintained a firm grip on his base and boosted his standing in the polls after being charged by New York prosecutors for allegedly paying secret money to a porn star. Trump is the frontrunner in the Republican race.
RON DESANTIS
After the glitches-filled launch of his Twitter campaign, DeSantis decided to position himself more to the right of Trump on a number of key issues. DeSantis, 44, who ranks second to Trump in most opinion polls, has already signed bills imposing new abortion restrictions and further relaxing gun laws, positions that could help him in the Republican primaries but likely hurt him among independent and more moderate voters in the general election. His battle with Walt Disney Co over its Florida theme park has baffled some donors, as has his mixed message about continued US support for Ukraine.
TIM SCOTT
The only black Republican U.S. senator has low name recognition outside of his home state of South Carolina, but his optimism and focus on unifying his divided party has helped him draw a contrast with the more aggressive approach from Trump and DeSantis. Scott’s supporters, however, recognize that while his sunny attitude is a selling point, it may not be enough to win. Scott, 57, has just 1% support among registered Republicans, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. He launched his campaign on May 22.
NIKKI HALEY
A former governor of South Carolina and Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, Haley, 51, pointed to her relative youth compared to Biden and Trump as well as her background as the daughter of two Indian immigrants. Haley has earned a reputation within the Republican Party as a strong conservative who has the ability to address gender and race issues in a more credible way than many of her peers. She has also presented herself as a staunch defender of American interests abroad. She draws about 4% support among Republican voters.
VIVEK RAMASWAMY
A former biotech investor and executive, Ramaswamy, 37, started a company in 2022 to pressure companies to abandon environmental, social and corporate governance initiatives. He announced in February that he was running for the Republican nomination. The political underdog has sparked a lot of popular discussion as a potential alternative to Trump, but he remains a longtime contender.
MIKE PENCE
Trump’s vice president has split with his former boss over the 2021 attack by Trump supporters on the US Capitol while Pence was inside the building. Pence, 64, said “history will hold Trump accountable” for his role in the attack. However, Pence, like other Republican White House hopefuls, came to Trump’s defense after New York prosecutors indicted him in the silent money case, underscoring fear of alienation. Trump supporters in the primaries. Pence, a staunch conservative, speaks directly to the evangelical Christian community. His campaign has filed a nomination paper and will launch in the first state of Iowa.
CHRIS-CHRISTIE
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, 60, who advised Trump’s White House campaign in 2016 to become a vocal critic of the former president, launched his campaign in early June and enters as a decided outsider . Only 1% of Republicans said he would be their preferred candidate for 2024 in a Reuters/Ipsos poll taken May 9-15.
ASA HUTCHINSON
The former Arkansas governor launched his White House bid in April by calling on Trump to step down to face his indictment. Hutchinson, 72, touted his experience leading a deeply conservative state as proof he can implement policies that concern Republican voters, citing tax cuts and job creation initiatives like particular sources of pride. Yet recognition of his name remains limited outside of Arkansas.
DOUG BOURGUM
Burgum, who is in his second term as governor of North Dakota, plans to launch his campaign on June 7. Burgum, 66, built a successful software company before selling it to Microsoft Corp in 2001. A proponent of low taxes and fewer regulations, he will likely seek to portray himself as a traditional conservative who will focus on the economy and national security.
(Reporting by Ross Colvin; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Nick Zieminski and Alistair Bell)