(WASHINGTON) — The 2024 presidential race is already shaping up, with former President Donald Trump seeking to return to the White House and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley looking , as she has said, to mark a new generation of leaders.
Here’s an updated list of who is running for president in 2024 and a brief look at the potential contenders who have not yet confirmed their plans — as well as where President Joe Biden stands.
Donald Trump, Republican
Trump, 76, formally launched his third bid for the White House on Nov. 15, following the 2022 midterms, which did not meet Republican expectations.
Trump announced his campaign from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. It didn’t come as a surprise, given that Trump had been hinting for months that he would make a run.
“America’s comeback starts right now,” he said, describing the U.S. as “in decline” and touting his administration as a “golden age.”
However, Trump’s third run for the White House comes as he faces multiple investigations — he denies wrongdoing — and has become increasingly estranged from some other leading figures in the GOP in the wake of Jan. 6, his 2020 election lies and other controversies and scandals.
While polling shows he remains popular with many voters in the party, many others say they want another nominee.
“America’s comeback starts right now,” he insisted in his announcement speech.
Steve Laffey, Republican
The former mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island, Steve Laffey announced his candidacy for president on Feb. 2.
In a statement, he said he wanted to confront the country’s issues.
“Our country has done the equivalent of using Band-Aids in place of major surgery. Somehow, we have ‘gotten by,'” he said. “For the first time in a generation, we must directly confront our problems.”
Laffey is a long-shot for the Oval Office, given his relative lack of name recognition or statewide or federal experience.
He previously made a run for Senate in 2006 in Rhode Island, against Republican Lincoln Chafee, who was ultimately defeated by Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse.
Nikki Haley, Republican
Haley, 51, announced her presidential bid in a video released on Feb. 14, a day ahead of a formal kickoff on Feb. 15 in Charleston.
Haley, who also served as a U.S. ambassador to the U.N. in the Trump administration, is the first high-profile Republican to challenge Trump.
In her announcement video, Haley, the daughter of immigrants, highlighted her heritage as a South Asian woman and touted her hopeful view of what America can offer.
“My mom would always say, ‘Your job is not to focus on the differences but the similarities.’ My parents reminded me and my siblings every day how blessed we were to live in America,” Haley said.
She underscored her credentials as a former leader of the Palmetto State, stressing its resilience, but most of all she said there was major need for change in the GOP’s candidates.
“Republicans have lost the popular vote in seven of the last eight presidential elections. … It’s time for a new generation of leadership,” she said.
Haley was elected as the first female governor of South Carolina in 2010, stepping down in 2017, during her second term, to serve as a Trump ambassador until 2018.
Where President Joe Biden stands on reelection bid
Biden, 80, has repeatedly said he intends to run for reelection in 2024 barring some major issue such as his health. However, the Democrat has not officially announced a decision.
“I’m just not ready to make it,” he told Noticias Telemundo in February.
Biden told ABC News’ David Muir in December 2021 that the possibility of a rematch with Trump wouldn’t dissuade him.
“Why would I not run against Donald Trump for the nominee? That’ll increase the prospect of running,” he said.
A look at potential presidential candidates
Observers say the list of other potential White House hopefuls includes Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has played down questions about his ambitions, as well as New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and others.
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