The Republican presidential candidates are all vying to take on President Joe Biden in November 2024. Here's what to know about them:
- Former President Donald Trump aims to become only the second commander-in-chief to win two nonconsecutive terms. He continues to deny the outcome of the 2020 election he lost to Joe Biden, he was twice impeached by the US House of Representatives, and as of August 2023, he faces 91 criminal charges across four separate cases against him. If he wins, Trump has said he would overhaul key factions of the federal government and slash social safety net programs. He has also vowed retribution against his political opponents and has said he would appoint a special prosecutor to “go after” Biden and his family.
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis rose to national prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic. He made Florida one of the first states to reopen schools, and took measures to prohibit lockdowns, mask mandates and vaccine requirements. Prior to that, he was a congressman and was a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus. He was a vociferous defender of Trump on Capitol Hill, but the two have since traded sharp attacks on each other on the campaign trail.
- Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has heavily focused on economic responsibility, national security and strengthening the southern border. If successful in the primary, Haley would be the first woman and the first Asian American nominated by the GOP for president. She became the first woman elected governor of the Palmetto State and the youngest governor in the nation when she took office in 2011. She resigned in the middle of her second term in 2017 to become US ambassador to the United Nations under Trump. She was the first governor in US history to have her spouse deployed. Her husband is currently deployed overseas for a yearlong mission.