The already-crowded field for the Republican nomination for president is expected to grow next week, with four additional challengers expected to enter the competition for the party's nomination in 2024.
Former President Donald Trump is largely seen as the front-runner for the nomination, and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is considered his biggest threat. DeSantis and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) made their official entrance into the GOP primary last week, joining Trump, former United Nations Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson in vying for the party's nomination.
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Here are the four expected newcomers hoping to move into the White House next year:
- Former Vice President Mike Pence
Pence, who served as vice president during Trump's administration, is expected to announce his bid for the presidency at an event in Des Moines, Iowa, on Wednesday, a source confirmed to the Washington Examiner. The announcement will coincide with his 64th birthday.
Many presidential hopefuls, including Pence, have visited the Hawkeye State recently, which is one of the first states that will hold primaries next year. Pence is expected to return to Iowa over the weekend for Sen. Joni Ernst's (R-IA) annual "Roast and Ride" event on June 3.
The former vice president has nudged his party to stand by its principles on issues such as abortion and government spending. Pence has publicly called for a nationwide ban on abortion and blasted the new debt ceiling deal as a "smoke and mirrors" ploy that weakens the United States's military.
Pence is currently polling in third or fourth place for the Republican nomination, per RealClearPolitics.
2. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie
Christie, who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2016, is expected to enter the presidential arena on Tuesday, June 6, during a town hall at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire, according to multiple reports.
During his days as governor in the early 2010s, Christie was considered a top Republican contender for the presidency and was competitive in hypothetical matchups against former President Barack Obama. However, he did not seek the nomination in 2012 and remained governor until 2018.
Christie is known for being a harsh critic of Trump, despite supporting him in 2016. Christie recently said the former president was like the Harry Potter villain Voldemort because of the party's reluctance to attack him.
“It’s like he’s Voldemort,” Christie joked in April. “You’re not going to beat someone by closing your eyes, clicking your heels together three times, and saying there’s no place like home.”
The former New Jersey governor is currently polling at around 1% in the latest RealClearPolitics aggregate, far behind the party's front-runners but ahead of Hutchinson and political commentator Larry Elder, who announced his bid earlier this year.
- Gov. Chris Sununu
Sununu's (R-NH) team has not indicated when the governor will formally enter the 2024 race, but it teased that an announcement could come as early as next week.
The New Hampshire governor is considered a centrist in the party and fashions himself as a leader that could unite the Republican Party. However, Sununu claimed that he had not made a final decision on entering the race, claiming he wanted to go where he could be most useful.
"The one thing I’m looking at is, where can I be most effective?" Sununu told CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday. "Both in terms of making sure I can be a good governor. I still have a 24/7 job. I’m one of the few people that ... I still very much focus on my state, and the state’s in great shape, so that’s good. I just want what’s best for the party; doesn’t have to be the Chris Sununu show all the time. It’s just what’s best."
Sununu doubled down on the announcement occurring next week, but praised DeSantis's speech, highlighting the governor's emphasis on "fiscal and economic sanity.
“It’s not just about the woke stuff. He talked about fiscal discipline," Sununu told Fox News on Thursday. "He’s talking about doing things in Washington that folks haven’t gotten done, and whether that’s Ron or all the candidates, that’s what we have to be talking about."
Sununu currently polls at 1%, according to RealClearPolitics.
- Gov. Doug Burgum
Burgum (R-ND), who has been the governor of North Dakota since 2016, is expected to announce his entrance during an event in Fargo, North Dakota, on June 7.
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The North Dakota governor is expected to portray himself as a traditional conservative with a focus on the economy and national security, a person familiar with his plans told Reuters.
Burgum is considered a longshot for the nomination but won reelection as governor in 2020 with two-thirds of the vote. He recently signed one of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the country and signed the largest income tax cut in state history.