There have so far been few official candidates in the 2024 U.S. presidential race, with the Democratic president Joe Biden has yet to announce whether he will seek re-election to the White House, and Republican nominees are weighing their chances in a possible showdown with former President Donald Trump.

Below is a list of major politicians who have announced their intention to run for President of the United States, as well as other possible candidates from both the Democratic and Republican parties.

The 80-year-old US president had been expected to announce his candidacy for the 2024 election for months. On April 14, he said he intended to announce it “relatively soon.” Political analysts emphasized that early entry into the election race is not beneficial for him, since there are still 19 months before the elections. Although his popularity is low, he is not seriously threatened by anyone for the Democratic nomination.

Trump, 76, announced his candidacy last November amid criticism from Republican officials for his support of far-right candidates defeated in the midterms. Like Biden, he does not enjoy the confidence of a significant portion of the party’s supporters. But he has a loyal fan base and scored points in the polls after he was indicted by New York City prosecutors in a case of paying money to porn star Stormy Daniels. Donald Trump is considered the leader who will nominate the Republican candidacy and run for President of the United States in 2024.

The 44-year-old Florida governor, who bears a strong resemblance to Trump, has not yet formally announced his candidacy, but he is following the steps that a potential White House candidate usually takes. Most polls show him second only to Trump in the Republican nomination. He signed bills to curb abortion and loosen gun control, positions that may resonate with the conservative camp but could be an obstacle in the race for the White House. Some of the GOP’s top funders are unhappy with DeSandis’ confrontation with Walt Disney over the Florida theme park, as well as his controversial statements regarding continued U.S. support for Ukraine, as well as his unwillingness to respond strongly to the personal attacks he received from Trump.

Former Governor of South Carolina and U.S. Ambassador to the UN (during Trump’s presidency), Haley, 51, aims to bring a wind of renewal to the White House, highlighting the age gap separating her from Biden-Trump and her heritage (daughter of Indian immigrants). It is believed that she is able to address issues of gender equality or racial discrimination much more convincingly than most of her peers. He is also presented as a defender of American interests in the international political arena.

The only African-American Republican senator is not particularly popular outside of his state (South Carolina), but his characteristic optimism and desire to unite his divided party helped him stand out from the hardliners of Trump and DeSandes. However, supporters of Tim Scott admit that he is unlikely to defeat the favorites, especially DeSandes, who has a rich legislative work. Scott, 57, has already assembled his staff ahead of the 2024 presidential election but has not formally announced his candidacy.

The former Arkansas governor announced his candidacy in April, urging Trump to pull out of the race to resolve his problems with the judiciary. Hutchinson, 72, believes that as governor of a conservative state, he has proven he can deliver the policies that Republican voters want by promising tax cuts and job creation. However, political scientists note that his popularity is limited to Arkansas.

Trump’s vice president broke with the former Republican president over the 2021 attack on Capitol Hill. Pence, 63, who was at the Capitol during the rampage of angry Trump supporters, said “history will hold Donald Trump accountable” for his role in the attack. But he defended it when he was indicted by New York prosecutors, highlighting the risk of marginalizing Trump supporters in the primaries. As he recently said, he has not yet decided whether to seek the Republican nomination ahead of the presidential election.

The former governor of New Jersey is considered one of the possible contenders for the Republican nomination. Christy, 60, also made the same claim in 2016. He was a Trump supporter but turned his back on him after the 2021 US Capitol attack.

The governor of New Hampshire is weighing his chances if he enters the race. Sununu, 48, who has been at the helm of the small American nation since 2017, said the Republican Party needs new leadership and that he doesn’t believe Trump can beat Biden.

Ramaswami, 37, a former biotech executive, founded a company in 2022 that encourages companies to move away from ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) criteria. In February, he announced his nomination for the Republican Party. He may have been promoted at times as a possible alternative to Trump, but he remains a clear underdog.

A leading figure in the anti-vaccination movement, Kennedy, 69, is seeking the Democratic nomination along with (possible) opponent Joe Biden. He was banned from social media platforms YouTube and Instagram for spreading misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines. He is the son of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 during the primaries.

The former Trump secretary of state and director of the CIA was one of the possible candidates for the Republican nomination, but decided – for personal reasons – not to run. He was a close associate of Donald Trump and supported the former president’s allegations of fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

He rose from hedge fund executive to governor of Virginia and was previously considered a possible candidate for the Republican Party nomination. However, many of his associates have recently joined the Desandes team, suggesting that the 56-year-old Yungin will not race after all.

Reuters