The ever-growing field of Republicans running for president will expand by three this week, with the entry of former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, former Vice President Mike Pence and Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota. The field continues to expand in part because hopefuls see an opportunity in Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ fight to become the undisputed challenger to former President Donald J. Trump.
DeSantis trails Trump by about 30 points in national polls of Republican voters. No one else is within arm’s reach, but with one in four Republicans still looking for an alternative to the top two candidates, fierce competition is emerging to be that other option.
The last three entrants should be considered long shots, at least for now.
But each will receive a momentary burst of attention as they declare their candidacy, hoping that from tiny sparks a wildfire will spread.
cris christie
When: Tuesday, June 6
Where: A town hall style event at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics on the outskirts of Manchester.
The strategy: Christie, who dropped out of the 2016 primary early and became a Trump supporter, has cast himself as the former president’s harshest critic in the Republican camp. He says Trump is unfit to serve after inciting the attack on the Capitol. Christie’s team recently said that he would run a campaign focused on “mixing it into the news cycle and getting Trump involved.”
But being an outspoken critic of Trump has so far paid few dividends. Among 10 declared or potential candidates for 2024 tested in a Monmouth Survey last week, Christie was viewed in the most negative light by Republican voters (21 percent viewed him favorably and 47 percent unfavorably). His strategy is to get to a debate stage, where his trademark pugilism, he promised, will be directed at Trump.
Christie is likely to campaign strongly in New Hampshire, where a large number of independents are expected to vote in next year’s primaries, giving Christie her best chance to damage Trump.
mike pence
When: Wednesday, June 7
Where: A rally with voters in Des Moines, followed by a CNN town hall at 9 pm ET.
The strategy: The former vice president brought credibility with social conservatives to the 2016 bid, but his star faded among the party base after he refused to abide by Trump’s efforts to block President Biden’s victory. As an evangelical Christian and the former governor of Indiana, Mr. Pence is a natural fit with Iowa’s conservatives, and he will likely focus much of his campaign there in hopes of garnering a strong turnout in the first nominating contest next year. His campaign intends to reintroduce him to voters as his own man, not just Trump’s number two.
But Pence, who espouses traditional Regean-esque views on economic and foreign policy — he supports aid to Ukraine — finds himself at odds with the party’s current populist drive. In the Monmouth poll, he had the second-highest unfavorable number (35 percent, vs. 46 percent favorable). When Fox News’ Sean Hannity mentioned in a town hall with Trump on Thursday that Pence would soon be joining the race, there were boos.
doug burgum
When: Wednesday, June 7
Where: Fargo, North Dakota
The strategy: The governor of North Dakota, who is little known outside of his home state, made a huge fortune from computer software and is in a position to self-finance his far-reaching campaign. He has said that he believes that 60 percent of American voters constitute a “silent majority” that feels ignored by the intense ideological debates that dominate politics. “There is definitely a yearning for some alternatives right now,” Mr. Burgum told a Fargo news site.
Energy policy is central to his message: As governor, Mr. Burgum set a goal of reaching carbon neutrality in North Dakota by 2030. His goal was not to decrease reliance on fossil fuels, a key part of the state’s economy, but decrease reliance on fossil fuels, a key part of the state’s economy. accelerate technology to capture carbon emissions in the soil.
The governor is low-key and notably not aligned with Trump-style populism. That means that, in addition to being little known, he will be paddling against the grain of today’s Republican rapids.