Chris Christie Launches Run For President

Donald Trump: The former president maintains a strong—but early—lead in polls despite his multiple, escalating legal woes that he’s turned into a key talking point for his campaign—casting them as “political witch hunts,” a messaging strategy that appears to be resonating with voters.

Ron DeSantis: DeSantis launched his candidacy May 24 in a glitch-plagued announcement on Twitter, and has sought to “counterpunch” Trump as he kicks off his campaign in key primary states, where he’s accused Trump of veering “left” on culture issues and cast him as “petty” and “juvenile” over the ex-president’s repeated jabs at everything from DeSantis’ personality to the way he pronounces his name.

Chris Christie: Christie formally entered the race Tuesday, hours before he’s expected to deliver a speech from Saint Anselm College, following months of national travel and media appearances in which Christie—a former Trump ally who has become one of his most vocal critics—has cast himself as the only candidate who has the courage to take on Trump.

Mike Pence: The former vice president filed candidacy paperwork Monday ahead of an announcement in Iowa on Wednesday, ending months of speculation over whether he would enter the race as he’s traveled the country promoting his memoir, So Help Me God, and recently gained the backing of a new super-PAC, “Committed to America.”

Tim Scott: The South Carolina senator, who announced his candidacy on May 22, is taking a more optimistic approach than some of his rivals while leaning into his Christian faith, a strategy that led him to secure the endorsement of Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the Senate’s No. 2 Republican.

Asa Hutchinson: Hutchinson, who served eight years as governor of Arkansas until the end of last year, launched his campaign on April 26—Hutchinson has been a vocal critic of Trump, going as far to say the January 6 Capitol riot “disqualifies” him from running again and that he should drop out of the race after being indicted in New York.

Doug Burgum: The North Dakota governor, who recently told North Dakota newspaper The Forum, “There’s definitely a yearning for some alternatives [to Trump right now,” will make an announcement in Fargo Wednesday, another indication that he could enter the race, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the plans.

Nikki Haley: After vowing not to run against Trump, the former South Carolina governor became his first official challenger in February, calling for a “new generation of leadership” in a video announcement, while lamenting President Joe Biden’s “abysmal record,” but she has largely avoided Trump jabs and has instead focused her attacks on DeSantis, whom her campaign recently called a “mini Trump . . . without the charm.”

Vivek Ramaswamy: Less than a week after Haley announced her campaign, the 37-year-old investment firm manager—who made Forbes’ list of America’s richest entrepreneurs under 40 in 2016 with a net worth of $600 million at the time—entered the fray with a video announcement in which he dubs “covidism, climatism and gender ideology” as “new secular religions,” a statement that builds on what he calls an “anti-woke” message detailed in his 2021 book, Woke, Inc.

Mike Pompeo: Also out with a new book, titled Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love, the former secretary of state told CBS in January he would decide on a 2024 presidential bid in “the next handful of months.”

Larry Elder: The former 2021 California gubernatorial candidate and conservative radio talk show host announced his long-shot candidacy in a Fox News interview on April 20, where he told ex-host Tucker Carlson, “America is in decline.”