Mediaboss Marketing

By Victor Reklaitis

Democrats largely close ranks behind Joe Biden for 2024, but Marianne Williamson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are challenging the president

The 2024 Republican presidential field has grown crowded and now stands at a dozen relatively well-known contenders, after five more candidates threw their hats in the ring last month.

Former U.S. Rep. Will Hurd of Texas entered the race on June 22, following Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who launched his bid on June 14.

In early June, former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and current North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum all formally kicked off their campaigns.

Meanwhile, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in May that he won't be on the presidential campaign trail in 2023 because of elections for his state's legislature in November, but he appears to have left the door open for a 2024 White House run.

In the latest polls of Republican primary voters, former President Donald Trump has a big lead, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis a distant second.

Below is MarketWatch's list of Republican presidential contenders and the status of their candidacies.

Trump was in the spotlight last month when he pleaded not guilty on June 13 following his federal indictment on 37 charges, including unauthorized retention of classified documents and obstruction of justice.

Also see:Latest Trump indictment could help him in the 2024 GOP primary but not in the general election, analysts say

And read:Trump calls latest indictment 'election interference'

On the Democratic side, Biden officially launched his re-election campaign in April, even as most Americans don't approve of his performance. The president has been talking up the strong job market and his legislative record.

The first official debate of the GOP presidential primary is slated to be held in Milwaukee on Aug. 23. The Republican National Committee said there will be a second debate on Aug. 24 if "enough candidates qualify to make it necessary."

In addition to the relatively high-profile names on the list above, there are some lesser-known GOP presidential hopefuls as well, such as Aaron Day, who is known in part for his 2016 run against former Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, a fellow Republican; Perry Johnson, a former gubernatorial candidate in Michigan; Steve Laffey, a former mayor of Cranston, R.I.; and former Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton.

A number of other Republican politicians have also been talked about as potential 2024 contenders but have not said they are running. That group includes Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has passed on speaking in the key primary state of Iowa; John Bolton, a former national-security adviser and former ambassador to the United Nations; former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, who has run an ad in New Hampshire, another key state; South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem; and former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan.

Among the prominent Republicans who have said they're not seeking their party's presidential nomination in 2024 are Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu.

From MarketWatch's archives (September 2022): In a conversation with MarketWatch, Vivek Ramaswamy says companies should 'leave politics to the politicians'

Democrats are closing ranks behind Biden, although author and activist Marianne Williamson has said she's seeking the party's nomination again and vigorously defended her decision to challenge the president in an extensive question-and-answer session with MarketWatch. Antivaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is also mounting a long-shot challenge to Biden and held a kickoff event for his campaign in April.

Among third-party candidacies, Cornel West, a former Ivy League professor now at Union Theological Seminary, has announced that he's a presidential candidate for the People's Party and that he's seeking the Green Party's nomination. In addition, a group called No Labels has been considering a "unity ticket" for 2024, saying that a rematch between Biden and Trump would be "the sequel that no one asked for," but a Politico report said the group would not submit a third-party challenger if DeSantis becomes the Republican nominee.

Now read:Nikki Haley says 'no Republican president will have the ability to ban abortion nationwide'

And see: Biden's age is figuring 'prominently' in the 2024 White House race -- but here's what the pundits could be getting wrong

Plus:Billionaire investor Bill Ackman says JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon should run for president

Robert Schroeder contributed.

-Victor Reklaitis

This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

07-06-23 1509ET

Read the original:
Here are the Republicans running for president in 2024 - Morningstar