Every week, new contenders enter the race for president of the United States in 2024, while others withdraw.
So far, four Republicans have begun their bids for the party’s nomination, while possible Democratic challengers are waiting in the wings in case President Biden decides to run for reelection.
The number of Republican presidential candidates is anticipated to increase as the campaign season heats up, but with the first primary still a year away, a lot may change before voters cast their ballots.
Below is the list of candidates who are running now and those who could later.
The incumbent
President Biden
First wife Dr. Jill Biden told The Associated Press that her husband has “not concluded what he’s started,” despite the fact that Mr. Biden has stated that it is his “intention” to compete for reelection. Mr. Biden has not yet officially launched his campaign, though.
The president has nevertheless spent the weeks since delivering his State of the Union speech on February 7 traveling and praising his administration’s accomplishments while criticizing Republicans for their views on Medicare and Social Security.
Mr. Biden’s declaration would be made as a special prosecutor is looking into secret materials found at his previous workplace at a think tank and his Wilmington, Delaware home.
The Republican candidates
Donald Trump
Trump was the first contender to openly declare his intention to run for president in 2024, kicking off his campaign in a speech from his South Florida club, Mar-a-Lago, in November. Trump hasn’t spent much time campaigning since then, but in recent weeks, he’s increased his travel with trips to Iowa and New Hampshire, the first two states on the GOP primary calendar.
On March 4, after taking first place in the conference’s straw poll, Trump, who is widely regarded as the front-runner for the GOP candidacy, gave the keynote presentation.
Although Trump continues to enjoy support from other members of the party, his legal issues cast a shadow over his campaign. In addition to two Justice Department investigations led by special counsel Jack Smith — one into his handling of classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago and the other into attempts to rescind the outcome of the 2020 presidential election — there are also ongoing inquiries from the district attorney in Manhattan and local prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia.
Even still, Trump assured reporters at CPAC that he will still run for president despite being indicted.
When asked if he would remain in the campaign if accused, the former president responded, “I wouldn’t even think about leaving.”
Nikki Haley
Haley, a former South Carolina governor and Trump’s ambassador to the UN, entered the campaign for the Republican presidential nomination in the middle of February, becoming his first rival.
Haley, 51, has made a veiled dig at Trump, 76, and Mr. Biden, 80, in her pitch to voters, characterizing herself as a new generation of Republican leadership and advocating for mandatory mental fitness exams for elected officials over 75.
Haley, who served as governor for two terms, was born in Bamberg, South Carolina, the daughter of Indian immigrants. From January 2017 to December 2018, she served as the top US ambassador to the United Nations.
Vivek Ramaswamy
Ramaswamy, a former biotech executive, is only the third Republican to enter the campaign so far but is thought to be a long shot for the Republican nomination.
Ramaswamy, who is 37 years old and has an estimated net worth of $600 million, has branded himself an “anti-woke” capitalist and disapproved of corporate investment based on ESG principles.
Ramaswamy is from Cincinnati, Ohio, and is connected to both Senator J.D. Vance and prominent Republican fundraiser Peter Thiel.
Asa Hutchinson
Hutchinson, a former governor of Arkansas, declared on April 2 that he would run for president in 2024, making him the fourth Republican to do so.
From 2015 through 2023, Hutchinson, 72, held the office of governor for two terms. He served as one of the House’s impeachment managers for President Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial and was a former lawmaker.
He has stated that he opposes Trump’s third run for the presidency, calling a Trump nomination in 2024 the “worst situation.”
The Democratic candidates
Marianne Williamson
Williamson is the first Democrat to formally announce her candidacy, entering the contest amid signs that the president would like to run for re-election.
Williamson’s decision to run makes her the first Democratic primary rival to Mr. Biden, even though it’s extremely improbable she would secure the party’s nomination.
The 70-year-old author and spiritual guide Williamson ran for the Democratic nomination in 2020 but fell short in the huge field of contenders. After withdrawing from the contest, she backed Andrew Yang in the Iowa caucuses.
The Republicans who are expected to run
Ron DeSantis
Although he hasn’t publicly declared, Florida’s governor is regarded as Trump’s main challenger. DeSantis, who is serving his second term as governor, has become well-known throughout the country for his support of the culture wars and COVID-19 policies.
DeSantis has also taken an interest in educational problems, changing Florida’s public education regulations and running in local elections for school boards in 2022. Although he hasn’t started a campaign, DeSantis is scheduled to make appearances in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada, another early-voting state, to promote his new book. His efforts as governor has made him popular with Republican voters.
DeSantis skipped CPAC this year and spoke to donors at a retreat held by the Club for Growth, a conservative organization.
Mike Pence
The former vice president and governor of Indiana have hinted that he is considering a run for president and stated that he plans to decide on his political future by the spring. Pence, meanwhile, has made it clear that he thinks the Party should move past Trump.
In January, he told CBS News, “I think we’re going to have new leadership in this party and in this country.”
Moreover, Pence has refrained from endorsing Trump should he emerge as the Republican nominee, stating that he hopes GOP voters will make a “wiser choice again” in 2024 and that “different times call for different leadership.”
While Pence has supported Trump’s policies, he has also condemned Trump for his conduct on January 6, saying in November that the former president’s statements were “reckless” and put him and his family, who were on Capitol Hill that day for the joint session of Congress, in risk.
Mike Pompeo
Similar to Pence, Pompeo said he intends to decide by the spring if he would run for president. Pompeo served as CIA director and secretary of state during Trump’s one term.
In a January interview with “CBS Mornings,” Pompeo stated that his own plans are unaffected by Trump’s choice to run for president a third time.
In his January book documenting his time in the Trump administration, Pompeo accuses Haley of attempting to unseat Pence as vice president. Haley, though, denied his claims and told Fox News that they were “lies and rumors to sell a book.”
Tim Scott
Scott, a senator from South Carolina and the lone Black Republican visited Iowa in February, which sparked rumors that he would run for president.
According to Axios, Scott just hired former Republican Sen. Cory Gardner and a seasoned GOP operative to manage his super PAC Opportunity Matters, which has increased speculation about his political aspirations.
In February, he also started a listening tour in South Carolina, his home state and another early primary state.
Chris Sununu
The governor of New Hampshire, Sununu, has been outspoken in his criticism of Trump and gave a sneak peek of his campaign’s message to voters in a recent interview with “Face the Nation,” where he advocated for the “New Hampshire model” of leadership.
The American public, according to Sununu, is “weary of extremist candidates” and partisan deadlock.
Instead of challenging first-term Democrat Maggie Hassan for the Senate seat in 2021, Sununu chose to run for governor, which he won in November.
Who’s not running
Larry Hogan
After “serious contemplation,” the former governor of Maryland declared on Sunday that he would not run for president in the GOP primary.
Hogan claimed that by choosing not to run for office, Trump may have had a harder time winning the nomination.