Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd is running for the GOP presidential nomination, warning voters that President Biden will win another term if former President Donald Trump is nominated as the Republican standard bearer.
In an announcement video on Thursday, Mr. Hurd said the nation faces a series of pressing challenges, ranging from foreign foes to immigration, inflation, crime and homelessness.
“President Biden cannot solve these problems or won’t, and if we nominate a lawless, selfish failed politician like Donald Trump who lost the House, the Senate, and the White House, we all know Joe Biden will win again,” Mr. Hurd said. “Republicans deserve better. America deserves better.”
A self-described “darkhorse” in the race, Mr. Hurd faces a major uphill battle. Most voters have not heard of him.
A big test will be whether he can cultivate enough support to score a spot on stage at the first GOP presidential debate on Aug. 23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. To qualify, candidates must receive at least 1% support in multiple national polls and reach fundraising thresholds that include having at least 40,000 unique donors to their campaigns.
Mr. Hurd is a former CIA operative who spent time undercover as an agent in the Middle East. He also has worked in cybersecurity. He was for a time the only Black Republican in the House.
He served three terms in Congress, representing a competitive district in south Texas before retiring in 2021. He developed a reputation as one of the more bipartisan lawmakers on Capitol Hill and emerged as one of the harshest GOP critics of Mr. Trump.
“As president, I will put American security and prosperity first, and I will give us the common sense leadership America so desperately needs,” he said in his video.
Touting a message of unity, Mr. Hurd is making the case that Republicans must move away from Trumpism and his stolen election claims, and “be the party that talks about the future, not the past.”
“We should be putting out a vision of how do we have unprecedented peace, how do we have a thriving economy, how do we make sure our kids have a world-class education, regardless of their age and location?” Mr. Hurd said on CBS “This Morning.”
“America is better together,” he said. “Way more unites us than divides us.”
Mr. Trump’s allies responded to the news by taking a swipe at Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who is running a distant second in early polling and, despite some early stumbles, is still viewed as Mr. Trump’s chief rival for the nomination.
“Let’s be honest, Never-Trumper Will Hurd wouldn’t even consider getting in this race if Ron DeSantis’ campaign wasn’t in total free fall,” said Karoline Leavitt, spokeswoman for Make America Great Again Inc. “Hurd’s entry means nothing for President Trump’s standing, but means everything for Ron DeSantis, further underscoring how far Ron’s star has fallen.”
Mr. Trump and Mr. DeSantis are the only candidates who have registered in double digits in the GOP nomination race.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.