The more Republican contenders, the better it is for Trump.
(Bloomberg) — Republican voters have more candidates to consider for president in 2024, even as the top of the field remains essentially unchanged.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum joined the ever-growing roster of candidates, which now numbers more than 10.
But former President Donald Trump remains the frontrunner in polls, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis the top challenger.
Strategists see a larger field benefiting Trump, who can rack up delegates with a strong plurality of voters, while challengers with lower poll numbers struggle to get the publicity and donations to stay in the race.
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, who decided against a run this week, said that candidates should quit the race if it looks like they can’t defeat Trump to stop him from winning the nomination again.
“I don’t mind who gets into the field, but given where the polls are right now, every candidate needs to understand the responsibility of getting out and getting out quickly if it’s not working,” he told CNN.
Other potential contenders, including former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have also announced they won’t run for the nomination in 2024.
Republicans Who Have Announced a 2024 Presidential Bid
Donald TrumpFormer presidentAnnounced: Nov. 15, 2022Trump is seeking to become the first former president since Grover Cleveland to be elected to a second, non-consecutive term in office. He faces potential legal problems that could complicate his campaign related to his attempts to overturn his 2020 loss in Georgia and mishandling of government records. He has already lost a $5 million sexual abuse and defamation case to former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll.
Ron DeSantisFlorida governorAnnounced: May 24, 2023Recently reelected to a second term, the Florida governor regularly made national news during the legislative session for signing laws banning abortions after six weeks, banning gender-affirming care for minors and stripping Walt Disney Co. of some authority over its Orlando theme park. He announced his run in a video posted on Twitter.
Nikki HaleyFormer U.N. AmbassadorAnnounced: Feb. 14, 2023A former governor of South Carolina, Haley served as United Nations ambassador under Trump. She made an indirect attack on the 76-year-old as well as President Joe Biden, who is 80, by calling for mental competency tests for politicians over the age of 75. She has also attacked DeSantis for being an “echo” of Trump’s positions and mannerisms.
Tim ScottUS Senator Announced: May 22, 2023Along with Haley, who first appointed him to the Senate, the South Carolina senator could make things interesting in an early primary state that helped propel Trump to the presidency. In late May, he announced his run in his hometown of North Charleston, citing his personal story as the child of a single mother.
Mike PenceFormer vice presidentAnnounced: June 7, 2023Although he served as Trump’s right-hand man for four years, Pence had a falling out after an angry mob threatening to hang him stormed the US Capitol on Jan. 6. He is running on a traditional conservative message, hoping that outreach to evangelical voters in early states like Iowa will give him an edge.
Chris ChristieFormer New Jersey governorAnnounced: June 6, 2023Another former ally turned antagonist, Christie lost to Trump in the 2016 primary, then became one of the first mainstream Republicans to endorse him. But he’s already gone on the attack against Trump far more directly than any other GOP candidate this cycle, calling him a “lonely, self-consumed, self-serving mirror hog.”
Doug BurgumNorth Dakota governorAnnounced: June 7, 2023A lifelong North Dakota resident, Burgum got an MBA from Stanford and then launched a tech startup in his home state that he later sold to Microsoft for more than $1 billion. Now in his second term as governor, he has focused on issues like energy while signing legislation to ban gender-affirming health care and the teaching of critical race theory.
Asa HutchinsonFormer Arkansas governorAnnounced: April 2, 2023A former governor of Arkansas, Hutchinson has also served as under secretary of Homeland Security, led the Drug Enforcement Administration and was a member of the House of Representatives. He is running on a platform of “consistent conservativism.”
Vivek RamaswamyBiotech executiveAnnounced: Feb. 21, 2023A former biotechnology executive and hedge-fund partner, Ramaswamy is known for his opposition to ESG investing and other “woke” corporate actions, which he attacked in his book Woke, Inc. In his first run for president, he remains a longshot.
Larry ElderRadio hostAnnounced: April 20, 2023A conservative radio host who ran unsuccessfully for California governor during a recall election in 2021, Elder announced his campaign on the now-canceled Fox News show hosted by Tucker Carlson. He is also a longshot candidate.
Perry JohnsonMichigan businessmanAnnounced: March 2, 2023The founder of Perry Johnson Registrars, which provides quality standards for businesses, Johnson tried to run for governor of Michigan in 2022, but was disqualified because the state elections bureau said he didn’t submit enough valid signatures.
Republicans Who Might Challenge Trump
Glenn YoungkinVirginia governor The former Carlyle Group co-CEO had no prior political experience before he was elected governor of Virginia in 2021. He’s made several moves, from meeting with donors to agreeing to a CNN town hall, that indicate he’s seriously considering a run.
Democrats Who Have Announced a 2024 Presidential Bid
Joe BidenPresidentAnnounced: April 25, 2023The current president, who previously served two terms as vice president and three decades in the Senate, is running for a second term, citing his record in office and issues like preserving abortion access and protecting Social Security. He has acknowledged concerns about his age — he would be 86 at the end of a second term — but argues he is fit to serve and needs a second term to achieve his goals.
Marianne WilliamsonSelf-help authorAnnounced: Feb. 25, 2023A best-selling self-help author who first ran for president in 2020, Williamson is running a longshot campaign focused on issues like economic inequality and corporate power rather than the more spiritual angles she took in her previous run.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Anti-vaccine activistAnnounced: April 19, 2023The son of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, Kennedy is mostly known for promoting discredited theories about vaccines and promoting unproven treatments for the coronavirus.
Third-Party Candidates Who Have Announced 2024 Bids
Cornel WestProgressive activist and professorAnnounced: June 5, 2023A former surrogate for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaigns, West said he’s running as a candidate for the left-wing populist People’s Party.
–With assistance from Lindsey Rupp.
(Updates throughout to reflect additional candidates)
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