2024 Republican Presidential Primary Field Takes Shape
June 5, 2023
Three more Republican candidates jumped or are about to jump into the presidential race after months of “will they” or “won’t they”.
The New Candidates:
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC): Officially launched his presidential bid on May 22, after launching an exploratory committee in April. Sen. Scott is running on a positive message as a true conservative. While Scott has a presence in the Senate and is the lead Republican on Senate Banking, he does not have a national brand. This lack of recognition could be an opportunity for Scott to introduce himself to voters with Trump fatigue and those seeking a conservative alternative to former Vice President Mike Pence.
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL): The popular Florida Governor announced his bid on May 24 via Twitter. Despite a few technical difficulties, DeSantis’s format eschewed traditional media and sought to place him as the new face of the Republican party, a more palatable version of Trump. He has built a national reputation by championing conservative issues on K-12 education, abortion, and combatting “wokeness”. DeSantis has the opportunity to bring together a coalition of Republican voters who are skeptical of another Trump nomination and MAGA wing of the party, if he is willing to go after Trump directly.
Former Vice President Mike Pence (R) is set to announce his Presidential Bid on June 7th in Des Moines, IA. As a long-time ally of the evangelical wing of the party, Pence will run on a platform of traditional conservative values on both social and economic issues. Pence’s biggest challenge will be to redefine himself to voters beyond his association with Trump.
With the White House and both chambers at stake, the diverse field of candidates and how they fare in the presidential election will shape the next four years for Republicans.
The bottom line: There is still plenty of time for candidates to jump in and out of the race. August will feature the first televised debate, but candidates will introduce themselves to key primary states and voters over the summer.
If you have any questions, contact Chelsea Neil at cneil@crefc.org.