The race for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 is getting more and more crowded. Donald Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, officially took the field, presenting the documentation for the electoral race. And by throwing an open gauntlet at his former “boss”, from whom he plans first of all to win the support of the more religious conservative electorate.
In the starting blocks, Pence’s race appears to be all uphill, held back by polls that see him raking in no more than a handful of percentage points of consensus among the base of the party. At the moment, to try to snatch the nomination from Trump, numerous candidates have already taken to the track, starting with the governor of Florida Ron DeSantis. Still considered the fiercest rival, however, DeSantis has recently lost ground, the victim of missteps and lack of brilliance, with Trump doubling him in preferences and, if anything, increasing his advantage. A difficult debut that leaves the mantle of the anti-Trump candidate in the party up for grabs.
Also in the running are Senator Tim Scott, one of the few African-American Republican leaders, and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley. Further entries are expected in the coming hours and days, such as that of the former governor of New Jersey and great critic of Trump Chris Christie and the governor of North Dakota Doug Burgum.
There is no shortage of lesser-known faces: Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, Texas businessman Ryan Binkley, radio celebrity Larry Elder, Michigan entrepreneur Perry Johnson, investor Vivek Ramaswamy. And there are potential and still reticent hopefuls: among them Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, seen by some in the party leadership as an ace in the hole for a late entry should DeSantis implode and no one else emerges as the clear favorite as an alternative to Trump for the nomination.
At the moment, despite investigations and judicial troubles, it is the former President who has a clear advantage among the base of the party, over which he maintains a strong grip. With almost a year and a half left before the actual elections, the countdown to the state primaries or party caucuses (assemblies) has already begun: all the candidates are making a stop in Iowa, the first of the Republican contests at the beginning of the next year and test their strength. The party convention will then take place in the summer of 2024 in Milwaukee.