As we get closer to the 2024 presidential election, the pool of prospective candidates, especially within the GOP, is expanding steadily.
This presidential election will mark the 60th in the history of the United States and stands as the first one to take place following the overhaul of the Electoral Count Act resulting from the 2020 elections.
While 11 Republican candidates have entered the race, President Joe Biden, who announced his candidacy for reelection on April 25, has garnered minimal competition thus far, with only a couple of unlikely challengers stepping forward.
Here's a comprehensive list on who is running for president so far.
U.S. President Joe Biden
As the 2024 presidential incumbent, Biden has an overall approval rating of 40%, according to an AP-NORC poll.
His support remains strong among Democrats, who gave the president an approval rating of 75%.
In a three-minute-long video, President Biden announced his run for reelection, stating that he wanted to "finish the job."
"Every generation has a moment where they have had to stand up for democracy. To stand up for their fundamental freedoms. I believe this is ours," the president said in the video. "That’s why I’m running for reelection."
If Biden, who is 80 years old, were to serve a full second term, he would be 86 years old, which is nine years older than Ronald Reagan was when he left office.
Marianne Williamson
Author Marianne Williamson, who previously made a run for the White House in 2020, launched her campaign for the 2024 Democratic nomination against incumbent President Joe Biden in April.
“It is our job to create a vision of justice and love that is so powerful that it will override the forces of hatred and injustice and fear," Williamson told a crowd at a campaign event covered by Politico.
Williamson, 70, is a Texas native who currently resides in Beverly Hills, California. Notably, she previously served as a spiritual adviser to talk show host Oprah Winfrey.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a renowned anti-vaccine activist filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission in early April.
Despite being a long shot, the 69-year-old is vying for the Democratic nomination against incumbent President Biden and contender Williamson.
Kennedy, the nephew of President John F. Kennedy and son of the late Robert F. Kennedy, was previously a bestselling author and environmental lawyer.
Over the years he became an anti-vaccine activist and during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, his anti-vaccine charity, Children's Health Defense, saw an increase in revenue over twofold, reaching $6.8 million in 2020.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump
While tangled in a wide array of pressing legal cases, Donald Trump, 76, was the first candidate from either party to formally declare his bid for the 2024 presidential election.
His announcement took place at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida back in November.
"Two years ago, we were a great nation, and soon, we will be a great nation again," Trump, 77, told his supporters in a speech. "This is not just a campaign. This is a quest to save our country."
In March, a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump in connection to a case of alleged hush-money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels, a case that is just one of six in which Trump is a defendant.
There are currently two civil cases and four criminal cases against Trump, two of which he has been indicted for.
The criminal cases include the indictment in the classified documents probe, the indictment connected to hush money payments,and two cases involving2020 election interference.
The two civil cases include the E. Jean Carrollbattery and defamation lawsuit and the Trump Organization tax fraud case.
Nikki Haley
Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, 51, announced her bid for the White House in February.
“It’s time for a new generation of leadership, to rediscover fiscal responsibility, secure our border, and strengthen our country, our pride and our purpose,” she said in her announcement.
Haley was appointed to be the United States ambassador to the United Nations in 2017 by President Donald Trump. She served for two years before stepping down in late 2018.
Haley is the daughter of Indian immigrants, and in the event of a successful primary campaign, Haley would make history as the first woman and first Asian American to receive the Republican Party's presidential nomination.
Ron DeSantis
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launched his bid for the White House in May, and he's considered one of the strongest competitors against Trump in the GOP field of candidates wanting the party nomination. The 44-year-old Republican criticized the Biden administration's border policies, "unconstitutional" vaccine mandates, and the "ideological agenda" of the U.S. Military during the official announcement with Twitter CEO Elon Musk on a group audio call hosted on Twitter Spaces.
"American decline is not inevitable; it is a choice," he said. "And we should choose a new direction — a path that will lead to American revitalization."
DeSantis was endorsed by Trump in his campaign to become governor of Florida and has enacted some of the same kind of populist policies that the former president supported.
Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence
Mike Pence, 64, officially filed paperwork to run for president the first week of June, prompting a rare showdown between two former running mates.
“I do believe that different times call for different leadership,” Pence said in an interview with Scripps News last month. “I'm proud of the record of the Trump-Pence administration. I was proud to run with President Trump not once, but twice. And I'm not sure anyone could have defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 other than Donald Trump. But I do think that different times call for different leadership.”
In an average of polls by Real Clear Politics,Trump leads the field with 53% of GOP primary voters. DeSantis is at second at 22%, while Haley and Pence poll at 4% and 3%, respectively.
Tim Scott
Republican Sen. Tim Scott, 57, entered the presidential race in May in hopes of becoming the first Black person to win a Republican presidential nomination.
He was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, where he has held state and local government offices.
"Joe Biden and the radical left are attacking every single rung of the ladder that helped me climb. And that's why I'm announcing today that I am running for President of the United States," he said during a rally courting voters. "They're attacking our American values, our schools, our economy and our security — but not on my watch."
Scott also said that he hopes to be the president who "destroys the liberal lie that America is an evil country."
Vivek Ramaswamy
Ohio multimillionaire business owner Vivek Ramaswamy, 39, is the only millennial in the race and a self-described "anti-woke" American nationalist.
Ramaswamy announced his candidacy in February, saying, "We are in the middle of a national identity crisis," ina video.
When asked by Scripps News what his plan is to get the nation on one team during the Iowa "Roast and Ride" event in June, Ramaswamy said, "That’s what I'm on a mission to do — revive the ideals that sent the country into motion — merit, excellence, and free speech."
Chris Christie
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, 60, filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Elections Commission on June 6, one day after former Vice President Pence declared his candidacy.
This is Christie's second attempt at grabbing the Republican nomination for president. He ran in 2016 and dropped out after the New Hampshire primary, where he finished in sixth place.
After dropping out, Christie became one of the major Republicans to endorse Donald Trump for president. However, he has increasingly been critical of the former president.
"The person I am talking about who is obsessed with the mirror, who never admits a mistake, who never admits a fault and will always find someone else — and something else — to blame for whatever goes wrong but finds every reason to take credit for anything that goes right is Donald Trump," Christie said during his announcement at a town hall event in New Hampshire.
Asa Hutchinson
Former Republican governorAsa Hutchinson of Arkansasannounced his candidacy in April, stating that he was inspired to run by people calling for a "consistent" and "optimistic" leader.
"I hear people talk about the leadership of our country, and I'm convinced that people want leaders that appeal to the best of America, and not simply appeal to our worst instincts," the former governor said on ABC News. "I believe I can be that kind of leader for the people of America."
Hutchinson, 72, has a history of experience, serving formerly as a prosecutor, a member of Congress, and director of the Drug Enforcement Administration, in addition to his prior role as Arkansas governor. But his name may not be widely known outside the state.
Larry Elder
Larry Elder, a conservative talk radio host revealed his candidacy for office in April.
Elder, 70, sat down with Scripps News' Christian Bryant in May and said "Do you want somebody who's got an America First agenda, who pretty much agrees with Donald Trump on the policies, but who can win against Joe Biden in November 2024, who understands the issues, who is likable, who has a sense of humor? And if you feel that way about our prospects for winning in 2024, I'm your man."
Elder sought and failed to replace California Gov. Gavin Newsom in the 2021 recall effort.
Doug Burgum
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, 66, joined the crowded field of contenders vying for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination the first week of June.
The former software CEO millionaire turned politician announced he was seeking the GOP nomination in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal on June 6, and on June 7, he filed paperwork officially making him the tenth declared Republican hopeful seeking the White House seat.
"We need a change in the White House. We need a new leader for a changing economy. That’s why I’m announcing my run for president today," Burgum said in the op-ed. "The U.S. has the hardest-working people in the world. But we need new leadership to unleash our potential."
Burgum has easily won both his gubernatorial elections, first winning in 2016 with over 76% of the vote. He then won the 2020 gubernatorial election with over 65%.
Francis Suarez
On June 14, Miami MayorFrancis Suarezjoined the race for the 2024 presidential nomination, becoming the eleventh Republican to file for candidacy.
Suarez, 45, is so far the only Hispanic candidate contending for the nomination.
He had teased a potential run in advance of former President Donald Trump's arraignment hearing.
"If I do decide to run, it’s starting a new chapter, a new conversation of a new kind of leader who maybe looks a little different, speaks a little different, had a little bit of a different experience, but can inspire people," he said at the time.
Suarez is considered more moderate than Trump or Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and has spent recent years trying to lure high-tech businesses such as cryptocurrency firms to Miami.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more candidates are announced.
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