As most of the Republican presidential candidates prepare to take the stage for the first debate in Milwaukee, here’s a rundown on who they are.

Who will appear at the debate?

Eight Republicans will appear at the debate, which will air from 9. to 11 p.m. Aug. 23 on Fox News Channel; Fox Business Network; foxnews.com; Fox Nation, Fox’s on-demand subscription platform; and the streaming service Rumble.

The participants are North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.

A ninth candidate, former President Donald Trump, qualified, but has chosen not to participate.

Four candidates missed the Republican National Committee’s polling and fundraising threshold. They are: Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, former Rep. Will Hurd of Texas, businessman Perry Johnson and radio host Larry Elder.

What major offices have the candidates held?

Of the nine Republican candidates invited to the debate, eight have held elected office. 

Trump and Pence have served as president and vice president, respectively. Six have served as governors, two currently (DeSantis and Burgum) and four previously (Pence in Indiana, Hutchinson, Haley and Christie).

One candidate, Scott, is a sitting senator, while four have served in the House: Pence, DeSantis, Hutchinson and Scott.

Haley served in Trump’s Cabinet as United Nations ambassador.

Ramaswamy has not held elected office.

How many of the candidates are lawyers?

More than half the 2024 GOP candidates have law degrees, though not all have practiced law in recent years. Of these, the most prominent figures in the law have probably been Christie, who served as a U.S. attorney in New Jersey, and Hutchinson, who was a U.S. attorney in Arkansas. 

Here’s where the candidates earned their law degrees:

Christie (Seton Hall University)

DeSantis (Harvard University)

Hutchinson (University of Arkansas)

Pence (Indiana University)

Ramaswamy (Yale University )

Suarez and Elder, who did not qualify for the debate, also have law degrees (from the University of Florida and University of Michigan, respectively). 

One candidate, Burgum, earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Stanford University.

Who has served in the military?

Among the nine Republican candidates invited to debate, only DeSantis has military service, having risen to lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy. He served on active duty between 2004 and 2010 and then for nine more years in the reserves. (DeSantis used his law degree as a member of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, including in service at the Guantánamo Bay detention center in Cuba.)

How old are the candidates?

The oldest Republican or Democratic candidate is President Joe Biden, at 80. 

Trump is the GOP field’s eldest candidate at 77.

Among Republicans who will be on stage, only Hutchinson is in his 70s. Pence, Burgum and Christie are in their 60s; Scott and Haley are in their 50s; DeSantis is 44; and Ramaswamy is 38.

Ramaswamy is roughly the age Democrat Pete Buttigieg was when the future transportation secretary ran for president in 2020. 

How diverse are the Republicans on stage?

Scott is Black, and Haley and Ramaswamy have South Asian ancestry. Among the candidates who didn’t qualify, Suarez is Hispanic, Elder is Black, and Hurd is multiracial — making this the most diverse Republican field in history.

The previous GOP field with the most racial and ethnic diversity was in 2016, when one Black candidate (Ben Carson) and two Hispanic candidates (Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz) sought the nomination.

Alan Keyes, who is Black, ran long shot Republican bids in 1996, 2000 and 2008.

How many women are running?

Haley is the  2024 Republican field’s lone woman.

That’s par for the course in contested Republican primaries this century. In 2000, former Cabinet member and future North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole ran. In 2012, then-Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota ran. In 2016, corporate executive Carly Fiorina ran.

How have the candidates fared on PolitiFact’s Truth-O-Meter?

Of candidates in either party, we’ve fact-checked Biden the most this year, at 24 times. Biden hasn’t had any True or Pants on Fire ratings, but he’s had a roughly equal number of Mostly True, Half True, Mostly False and False ratings.

Among Republicans who qualified for the debate, we’ve fact-checked Trump the most this year, with 17 checks. Most of Trump’s checks ended up in the lower half of our meter: four Mostly False, eight False and two Pants on Fire ratings. (Trump is also our overall fact-check leader with 979.)

DeSantis had the second-highest number of fact-checks of any Republican this year, with 14. No other GOP candidate had more than seven fact-checks in 2023.

Did you know? Facts about the GOP field

Doug Burgum: He started a chimney sweep business in college.

Chris Christie: He has attended more than 100 Bruce Springsteen concerts.

Ron DeSantis: He married his wife, Casey, at the Walt Disney World resort in Orlando, Florida, in 2009.

Nikki Haley: She has long gone by her middle name, Nikki, which means “little one” in Punjabi. 

Asa Hutchinson: He succeeded his brother, Tim, in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mike Pence: He was friendly with actor Woody Harrelson at Hanover College in the 1980s.

Vivek Ramaswamy: He has publicly rapped Eminem’s “Lose Yourself.”

Tim Scott: At 16, he survived a serious car accident that derailed what could have been a promising football career.

Will Hurd: He speaks Urdu, a language widely used in Pakistan, where Hurd worked undercover for the CIA.

Francis Suarez: He was believed to be the first elected official in the U.S. to receive his salary in bitcoin.

Perry Johnson: He has won five National Bridge Championships and finished eighth in an international championship in 1998.

Other PolitiFact coverage of the GOP candidates

How accurate are 2024 Republican presidential candidates’ attacks on one another?

Checking GOP presidential candidates’ attacks on Joe Biden, Democrats ahead of first primary debate

Pence’s point on gender-affirming care for minors ignores parental consent rules for tattoos

To limit fentanyl supply, Tim Scott wants Title 42-like restrictions. Experts say they won’t help

Ron DeSantis’ baseless theory that the government wants to control people’s purchases

Immigration plans by Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis face obstacles

Fact-checking Donald Trump on his economy and Joe Biden’s

8 Pants on Fire statements by Donald Trump about Georgia 2020 election

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The New York Jets may be forced into some coaching changes at the end of the 2023 NFL season.

The lack of a competitive offense could mean Nathaniel Hackett loses his job after one season with the franchise.

Hackett was brought in to work with Aaron Rodgers because of their previous time with the Green Bay Packers.

Unfortunately, Rodgers got hurt and the offense tailored to the 39-year-old did not lead to any success with Zach Wilson and Tim Boyle at quarterback.

The Jets ownership may be sympathetic and understand the poor luck the franchise had with Rodgers’ Week 1 Achilles injury, but this is the NFL after all, where changes happen if teams do not perform.

Hackett’s status might just depend on what Rodgers does in 2024 since he was brought in to specifically get the best out of the former Packers quarterback.

However, the Jets may be forced into a change and that could mean a new offensive mindset for Rodgers or whomever plays quarterback next season.

Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Eric Bieniemy has been one of the top offensive coaches in the league for quite some time.

The Washington Commanders offensive coordinator’s status for 2024 could be up in the air because of potential changes within the franchise.

Head coach Ron Rivera appears to be on the way out as the team’s new owners look to bring in their own coach.

Bieniemy should be considered in that coaching search, but if he gets passed up for a head coaching gig in Washington or anywhere else, he will be the top offensive mind on the market.

The 54-year-old achieved a wealth of success with Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, and he could bring a fresh perspective to the Jets offense.

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Darrell Bevell has been an offensive coordinator for four different franchises.

The 53-year-old is currently on the Miami Dolphins staff as a quarterbacks coach and pass-game coordinator.

Bevell’s lengthy experience in the NFL could intrigue the Jets over a new young mind who may take time to adjust as an offensive coordinator.

If Rodgers hangs around for 2024, there is a small connection between him and Bevell, who was on the Packers coaching staff during the quarterback’s rookie season.

Bevell departed the next year for the first of his four OC jobs with the Minnesota Vikings, so there is at least a sliver of understanding between the two parties, which is more than most potential OC hires have.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh may be more inclined to trust Bevell because he has helped with an offense run by another former San Francisco 49ers assistant in Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.

If anything, Bevell has the resume and an inkling of a connection to the current Jets to have an advantage over other candidates.

Tony Ding/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Brian Griese would be an out-of-the-box hire for the Jets.

The former NFL quarterback and ESPN broadcaster has been the 49ers’ quarterback coach since 2022.

Griese helped with Brock Purdy’s development and he could use that as a springboard to a coordinator job somewhere in the NFL.

Even though Saleh did not coach with Griese, there is an obvious connection to the 49ers. The Jets head coach could get a recommendation from his former boss Kyle Shanahan in an attempt to improve his own offense.

Rodgers could benefit from the perspective of a former NFL quarterback, but Griese lack play-calling experience in the NFL, and that could go against him in the potential interview process.

The Jets have to consider all types of options, though, to improve their offense if Hackett ends up out of a job at the end of the season.

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The 2024 US presidential election race is well and truly underway.

President Joe Biden is seeking re-election and has the backing of his party establishment, leaving him in a strong position to ward off rival Democrats who might believe they’re better placed than the 80-year-old incumbent to take on an energised Republican Party.

On the other side, former president Donald Trump’s early announcement and diehard supporters have propelled him to the top of the GOP list, but there’s a host of potential rivals, such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, seeking to break his stranglehold on the party base.

Here’s who’s seeking the White House, who’s already bowed out, and who might yet surprise us in the lead-up to the 2024 US presidential election.

Declared: Donald Trump

Former US president Donald Trump during a campaign event at the South Carolina Statehouse on Saturday, January 28, 2023.(AP Photo: Alex Brandon)

Background: Former president of the United States, real estate mogul, former reality TV host

Home state: Florida/New York

Age on election day 2024: 78

Former president, reality TV star and real estate mogul Donald Trump is seeking to return to the White House after being defeated in 2020 by Joe Biden after a single term.

Mr Trump’s presidency alienated many Americans but energised and transformed the Republican base. His four years in office were marked by a return to a more protectionist trade policy, a shunning of traditional diplomacy in favour of personal relationships with world leaders, and the installation of a 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court.

They also saw a hollowing out of the public service, an abandonment of the democratic and ethical norms surrounding the presidency, and a reliance on “acting” officials to fill cabinet-level positions for increasingly long periods of time.

After refusing to accept the result of the 2020 election, culminating in the January 6 riot at the US Capitol, Mr Trump became the first president in history to be impeached twice, although he was acquitted both times in the Senate.

He has since been indicted on a wide range of criminal charges, relating to a 2016 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, his alleged storage of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, his alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and his alleged attempts to pressure public officials to overturn the results in Georgia specifically. He was also found liable by a jury for sexually abusing advice columnist E Jean Carroll in the mid-90s.

Far from sinking his campaign, his legal woes seem to have propelled him to a massive lead over his primary rivals, making him the clear frontrunner for the GOP once again.

Declared: Ron DeSantis

Florida governor Ron DeSantis speaks after being sworn in for his second term outside the Old Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida, on January 3, 2023.(AP Photo: Lynne Sladky)

Background: Governor of Florida, former congressman, former military lawyer

Home state: Florida

Age on election day 2024: 46

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis staked out his position as Mr Trump’s biggest political threat in 2022 with a huge electoral win at home, trouncing Democrat Charlie Crist by 15 points and further reddening what was once considered a swing state.

He quickly became the go-to candidate for those hardcore conservatives who were ready to move on from Mr Trump, having achieved right-wing policy wins in Florida while also showing a flair for the kind of culture-war skirmishes that animate the GOP base (think inquiries into trans health services and legal battles with “woke” Disney).

Supporters cited his ability to pick his battles better than the former president, hoping he could essentially offer the same policies and fighting spirit in a younger, less abrasive package — the elusive “Trumpism without Trump”.

Mr DeSantis’s much-hyped White House run, however, got off to a rocky start, beginning with a campaign announcement hosted on Elon Musk’s Twitter that was marred by technical glitches.

He’s since struggled to connect with voters, robbing him of vital momentum needed to catch up with Mr Trump’s substantial polling lead and leading him to replace his campaign manager in August.

The governor is travelling the country and playing up his successes by calling Florida a “blueprint for the nation”, and is beginning to test the waters with increasingly direct jabs at Mr Trump.

But the question remains whether he has what it takes to win a head-to-head contest with his fellow Floridian, who has the air of incumbency and doesn’t play by the rules when it comes to taking on political rivals.

Declared: Vivek Ramaswamy

Vivek Ramaswamy speaks to reporters at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2023, on Friday, March 3, 2023 at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, United States.(AP Photo: Alex Brandon)

Background: Biotech entrepreneur, author, political activist

Home state: New York/Ohio

Age on election day 2024: 39

Dubbed the “CEO of Anti-Woke, Inc.” by The New Yorker, Vivek Ramaswamy announced his candidacy for president on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show ahead of the 2023 CPAC conference.

Already a successful businessman in the asset management and biotechnology sectors, Mr Ramaswamy has forged a second career as a conservative activist and author since 2020, focusing on opposing ESG investing (environmental social and governance) as well as the broader social justice, diversity and environmental movements.

The son of Indian immigrants, his platform includes shutting down the FBI and the federal Department of Education, “declaring independence” from China, and using military drones to eliminate Mexican drug cartels.

It’s an approach to presidential politics he openly credits to Mr Trump.

“I think I’m best positioned to advance our America First agenda, take it even further than Trump did, but also unite the country in the process,” Mr Ramaswamy told public broadcaster PBS.

At 39 on election day, he would be the youngest president ever elected.

Fun fact: He once moonlighted as a rapper named Da Vek while studying at Harvard, telling student newspaper The Crimson his life’s theme song was Eminem’s Lose Yourself.

Eminem has since asked Ramaswamy to stop using his music on the campaign trail.

Declared: Mike Pence

Former vice-president Mike Pence speaks to students at Georgetown University in Washington on Wednesday, October 19, 2022.(AP Photo: Jose Luis Magana)

Background: Former vice-president of the United States, former governor of Indiana, former congressman

Home state: Indiana

Age on election day 2024: 65

After four years serving as a quiet, faithful vice-president to Mr Trump, Mike Pence adhered to convention and oversaw the certification of the 2020 US election result, ensuring Mr Trump’s presidency came to an end and avoiding a constitutional crisis.

He has strongly defended his actions in doing so, but has otherwise largely avoided criticising his former boss’s time in the White House, suggesting he is keen to avoid alienating Mr Trump’s base as he makes his own White House run.

“I’m persuaded that no one could have defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 except Donald Trump, but I think we live in a different time and it calls for different leadership,” he told the Associated Press in the lead-up to his declaration.

On paper, a staunchly conservative former VP with evangelical bona fides should be a strong candidate in a GOP primary, with high name recognition and the credibility needed to bring together a broad right-wing coalition.

In reality, hardcore Trump supporters could be heard chanting “Hang Mike Pence” during the Capitol riot, and even his supporters acknowledge his political instincts are lacking.

His position on abortion — he wants to make it not just illegal but “unthinkable” in all circumstances — is popular with large parts of his party but will be a tough sell in a general election, with a post-Roe America still grappling with the consequences of the Supreme Court’s decision to return the issue to the states.

Declared: Tim Scott

US senator Tim Scott speaks during a news conference about inflation on February 16, 2022.(Reuters: Elizabeth Frantz)

Background: Senator for South Carolina, former congressman, former state representative, insurance agent

Home state: South Carolina

Age on election day 2024: 59

South Carolina senator Tim Scott’s formal announcement ended a months-long testing of the waters that included a “listening tour” with stops in Iowa and the establishment of an exploratory committee in April.

Popular with his constituents and colleagues, Senator Scott’s early rhetoric has been different from that of his fellow Republican candidates, telling supporters they can choose “victimhood or victory”, and emphasising that the party’s nominee should be able to display “compassion for people who don’t agree with us”.

As the GOP’s only black senator, as well as a self-made businessman who grew up poor in a single-parent household, he already has a significant national profile with a compelling story to boot.

He’s backed it up with significant spending in early primary states, launching some of the largest ad buys yet in Iowa and New Hampshire to run across both broadcast and digital platforms.

He entered the race with more cash on hand than any other presidential candidate in US history, due to a leftover $US22 million ($33 million) from his 2022 Senate campaign.

Declared: Nikki Haley

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks during a town hall campaign event at Ankeny, Iowa on Wednesday, May 17, 2023.(AP Photo: Charlie Neibergall)

Background: Former ambassador to the United Nations, former South Carolina governor

Home state: South Carolina

Age on election day 2024: 52

A former South Carolina governor and Mr Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley announced her run for the presidency via a video on Twitter emphasising her determination to fight back against bullies.

The daughter of Indian immigrants, she became her home state’s first female and first non-white governor in 2010 at the age of 38.

Ms Haley kept her head down during the Trump years and exited the administration in 2018 with her reputation relatively intact, but there’s no indication her time working for the 45th president won her the favour of any of his supporters.

The fact that she had previously said she wouldn’t run against her former boss in 2024 is also unlikely to help in that respect.

On the issues, Ms Haley is a frequent critic of China, a supporter of the death penalty, and has attacked Florida Governor Ron DeSantis from the right on social issues.

But it’s how she navigates the waters of her relationship with Mr Trump that could well determine the success, or otherwise, of her campaign.

Declared: Doug Burgum

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum speaks to delegates at the Republican State Convention in Grand Forks, North Dakota, on April 7, 2018.(Reuters: Dan Koeck)

Background: Governor of North Dakota, former software executive, former chimney sweep

Home state: North Dakota

Age on election day 2024: 68

An outlier in the Republican field, North Dakota governor Doug Burgum is known more for his earnest policy positions than for battling Democrats.

The former software executive runs a deep red state but has flirted with moderate positions during his time in office, including labelling the 2020 party platform “divisive” when it came to LGBT issues.

However, he hasn’t hesitated to sign conservative bills into a law, including a number of anti-trans bills and a near-total abortion ban.

Mr Burgum makes no secret of the fact that he prefers to focus on energy policy, including his goal for North Dakota to become carbon-neutral by 2030 (albeit through carbon capture and storage, with continuing subsidies for the fossil-fuel industry).

Prior to announcing his candidacy in the Wall Street Journal, Mr Burgum shared a video highlighting his rise from a small town boy to a self-made entrepreneur, and a governor who has cut red tape and taxes.

He’s also well aware that his low profile outside his state makes his 2024 run a long shot, telling an interviewer: “There’s a value to being underestimated all the time.”

It puts into perspective the efforts he took to make it onto the first debate stage, appearing without painkillers despite tearing his Achilles tendon the day before, and achieving the debate’s 40,000-donor threshold in part by offering people $US20 gift cards in exchange for $US1 donations.

Declared: Chris Christie

Republican presidential candidate and former New Jersey governor Chris Christie speaks with reporters in Kyiv, Ukraine on August 4, 2023.(AP Photo: Efrem Lukatsky)

Background: Registered lobbyist, former governor of New Jersey, former US attorney

Home state: New Jersey

Age on election day 2024: 62

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie was once considered the poster boy for loud, aggressive Republicans — until Donald Trump came along.

Ideologically a moderate, Mr Christie was happy for his governorship to be defined by heated verbal arguments with voters and political clashes with the Obama administration.

But it ended in scandal after he was implicated in the “Bridgegate” saga, in which several people close to him were found to have purposefully closed lanes to cause traffic jams on the George Washington Bridge as retribution against a Democratic mayor.

Mr Christie last ran for president in 2016, making some waves in early debates before bowing out after a lacklustre showing in New Hampshire. He then briefly led the Trump presidential transition team before being pushed out by Mr Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

He’s now casting himself as the only person with the guts to take on Mr Trump directly, launching his campaign with a flurry of personal attacks on the former president, who he described as a “lonely, self-consumed, self-serving mirror hog”.

“We can’t dismiss the question of character anymore, everybody. If we do, we get what we deserve, and we will have to own it,” he said.

Mr Christie criticised the loyalty pledge candidates were required to sign before they could appear on the first debate stage, which committed them to supporting the party’s eventual nominee in the general election.

He’s made it clear he won’t be supporting Mr Trump in a general election — but said he did what he needed to do to get onstage.

Declared: Asa Hutchinson

Former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson speaks during an interview with the Associated Press on December 13, 2022.(AP Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Background: Former governor of Arkansas, former DEA administrator

Home state: Arkansas

Age on election day 2024: 73

Asa Hutchinson says he is running for president because he is convinced Americans want leaders that “appeal to the best of America, and not simply appeal to our worst instincts”.

He served two terms as Arkansas’s governor from 2015 to 2023, winning his second term in a landslide with more than 65 per cent of the vote.

Prior to that he spent time in the George W Bush administration, firstly as the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration and secondly handling border security in the then fledgling Department of Homeland Security.

Mr Hutchinson left the governor’s office with a conservative record, but has shown a willingness to split with his party on occasional issues in the past — including vetoing a bill that would have banned gender-affirming medication for minors (a veto his party later overrode), and praising the Biden administration’s “depoliticising” of the government’s COVID response.

More recently, he’s said Donald Trump should drop out of the race following his criminal indictment in the state of New York.

Mr Trump, for his part, calls Mr Hutchinson “Ada Hutchinson” — “because of certain reasons or others”.

Declared: Larry Elder

Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder speaks after the polls close on the recall election in Costa Mesa, California, United States on September 14, 2021.(Reuters: Mike Blake)

Background: Conservative radio host, California gubernatorial candidate, lawyer

Home state: California

Age on election day 2024: 72

Talk radio personality Larry Elder is a relative political novice, despite having built himself into a national brand in conservative media since he first began hosting The Larry Elder Show in 1993.

The former attorney ran his first political campaign in 2021, when he took on Gavin Newsom in a recall election effort that the blue-state Democrat won easily.

Mr Elder is, like many others on this list, a staunch right-winger — opposing minimum wage laws, environmental legislation and the Black Lives Matter movement, and supporting school choice programs and physical barriers along the border with Mexico.

He announced his candidacy for the presidency on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News program, telling the TV host his decision was in part motivated by the fact he’s the only member of his family who hasn’t served in the military.

Mr Elder said he had met the criteria required to attend the first Republican primary debate, but organisers disagreed — prompting him to declare he would sue the Republican National Committee.

Declared: Will Hurd

US Representative Will Hurd questions witnesses during a House Intelligence Committee impeachment inquiry hearing in Washington, DC, on November 21, 2019.(Pool via Reuters: Andrew Harrer)

Background: Congressman, cybersecurity consultant, former CIA agent

Home state: Texas

Age on election day 2024: 47

A self-acknowledged “dark horse candidate“, Texas congressman Will Hurd sticks out from the Republican field in more ways than one.

The 47-year-old moderate was a CIA operative for nine years in the 2000s, spending time mostly in Washington but also serving in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.

He represents a nearly 70 per cent Latino district which runs for 820 miles (1,319 kilometres) along the Texas-Mexico border, which has elevated his voice as he has called for a calmer, solutions-based approach to the country’s border issues.

He has also called Mr Trump a “lawless, selfish, failed politician … who lost the House, the Senate and the White House”.

“If Donald Trump is leading in the polls, and he’s your opponent, then kissing his butt is not going to help you win,” he told his fellow GOP candidates in August.

Along with Chris Christie, Mr Hurd spoke out against the Republican Party’s requirement for candidates to sign a loyalty pledge to support the eventual nominee before they were granted access to the first primary debate stage.

Declared: Ryan Binkley

Republican presidential candidate Ryan Binkley speaks at the Republican Party of Iowa’s Lincoln Day Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 28, 2023.(Reuters: Scott Morgan)

Background: Pastor, businessman

Home state: Texas

Age on election day 2024: 56

Ryan Binkley is aiming high with his first political campaign.

The Dallas businessman and non-denominational pastor is bringing an overtly religious message to the campaign trail, promising a country that is “strong, unified and reconciled to God and each other”.

He’s focusing his message on Iowa, where he recently landed a coveted speaking slot at the state party’s Lincoln Dinner.

Mr Binkley is campaigning on immigration reform, reducing the national debt, urban education, and — in a sign of how prominent the issue has become in conservative circles as much as liberal ones — taking on the pharmaceutical industry.

But despite already having invested more than $US1.7 million ($2.64 million) into his own campaign, he’s failing to show up in most early polls — if he’s included at all.

Declared: Perry Johnson

Perry Johnson enters the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland on March 2, 2023.(Supplied: Perry Johnson for President Inc)

Background: Businessman, author, Michigan gubernatorial candidate

Home state: Michigan

Age on election day 2024: 76

A businessman known primarily for his work in quality control, Perry Johnson announced his 2024 presidential bid during conservative gala CPAC, where he came in third in a straw poll behind former president Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

His previous attempt to run for office didn’t go so smoothly, having been disqualified from Michigan’s 2022 governor’s race once fraudulent signatures were found on his nominating petition.

An avid bridge player, Mr Johnson lists among his accomplishments five National Bridge Championships and an eighth-place finish in the 1998 World Championship in Lille, France.

Like Larry Elder and Miami mayor Francis Suarez, Mr Johnson said he had met the criteria required to attend the first Republican primary debate — but organisers disagreed.

Possible: Kristi Noem

South Dakota governor Kristi Noem speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, on February 25, 2022.(Reuters: Marco Bello)

Background: Governor of South Dakota, former congresswoman, farmer

Home state: South Dakota

Age on election day 2024: 52

South Dakota governor Kristi Noem is increasingly becoming part of the conversation when it comes to the 2024 Republican field.

The 51-year-old second-term governor connects well with her party’s base, telling the story of how she had to leave college early as a young woman after her father died in a farm accident.

Ms Noem earned a reputation as a Trump loyalist during his time in office, and has been spoken about as a possible running mate.

However, she has stood up to the former president on occasion, notably calling out his trade war with China for “devastating” her state’s economy — not to mention denying him a spot on Mount Rushmore.

When asked in early 2023 if she had considered running for president, she said she’s “not convinced she needs to”.

Possible: John Bolton

US national security advisor John Bolton during a visit to London on August 12, 2019.(Reuters: Peter Nicholls)

Background: Former national security adviser, former ambassador to the United Nations, former Fox News commentator

Home state: Maryland

Age on election day 2024: 75

A well-known foreign policy hawk, John Bolton cut his teeth during the Reagan administration before being appointed as an undersecretary of state and then ambassador to the United Nations by George W Bush.

A committed advocate for the war in Iraq, he was later an uncomfortable presence in the Trump White House during his year-long tenure as national security adviser, and has spoken openly of his alarm at Mr Trump’s haphazard approach to foreign policy in the years since.

He says he’s seriously considering challenging the former president, calling Mr Trump’s 2024 campaign “poison” for the GOP.

A debate clash between Mr Trump and Mr Bolton would be something to witness. Mr Trump could barely hide his disdain for Mr Bolton when they were working together, and reportedly told advisers “the moustache is a problem” when considering him for a cabinet post early in his presidency.

Declared: Joe Biden

US President Joe Biden delivers the 2023 State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress.(Pool via AP Photos: Jacquelyn Martin)

Background: President of the United States, former vice-president of the United States, former senator for Delaware

Home state: Delaware

Age on election day 2024: 81 

The incumbent president has formally declared his intention to seek a second term, accompanied once again by Vice-President Kamala Harris as his running mate.

A senator for 36 years before becoming Barack Obama’s vice-president in 2009, Mr Biden has so far had mixed success when it comes to implementing his first-term agenda.

However, he’s fallen short when it comes to protecting voting rights and following through on other major campaign promises, such as raising the minimum wage.

Mr Biden’s age — and how he navigates it as an issue — will also play a significant factor in whether or not he can pull off a successful re-election campaign.

Already the oldest president in history at 80, he’ll be 82 by the beginning of his second term, and will have to convince voters he’s fit to serve up until he leaves the White House at 86.

Declared: Robert F Kennedy Jr

Robert F Kennedy Jr, nephew of former US president John F Kennedy, waves as he attends a demonstration against COVID-19 vaccines in Mmilan, Italy on November 13, 2021.(Reuters: Flavio Lo Scalvo)

Background: Environmental lawyer, anti-vaccine activist, author

Home state: New York/Massachusetts

Age on election day 2024: 70

Robert F Kennedy Jr, the son of popular former senator and 1968 presidential candidate Robert “Bobby” Kennedy, will contest the 2024 primary as a Democrat.

An environmental lawyer by trade, Mr Kennedy is more widely known as an outspoken conspiracy theorist and anti-vaccine campaigner dating back to well before the COVID-19 pandemic.

His most recent book offering is The Real Anthony Fauci, in which he argues Dr Fauci, the scientist who spearheaded America’s pandemic response, worked “in tandem with his long-term partner, billionaire Bill Gates” to suppress hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin as COVID treatments in favour of vaccines.

In response, Dr Fauci called Mr Kennedy “a very disturbed individual”.

Mr Kennedy’s anti-vaccine statements have elicited strong rebukes from other members of the Kennedy family in the past — as well as from his wife Cheryl Hines, an actress on Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm.

He’s nevertheless managed to pull together a number of notable endorsements, including from Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, and recorded double-digit showings in early polls that will irritate Democrats who believe the party needs to quickly unite behind Mr Biden.

Declared: Marianne Williamson

Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson speaks at the Faith, Politics and the Common Good Forum at Franklin Jr High school in Des Moines, Iowa, on January 9, 2020.(AP Photo: Andrew Harnik)

Background: Self-help author, spiritual and progressive activist

Home state: California/Texas

Age on election day 2024: 72

Self-help author Marianne Williamson was the first notable Democrat to challenge Mr Biden for the party’s nod in 2024.

Once known as “Oprah’s spiritual adviser” due to her frequent appearances on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show, Ms Williamson has backed progressive causes throughout her career, including anti-poverty campaigns, support for HIV/AIDS charities and the establishment of a US Department of Peace.

But she’s perhaps most well-known for her unsuccessful run for the Democratic nomination in 2020, during which she initially polled high enough to be included in the first round of primary debates.

Her campaign was short-lived, but still made headlines due to her overtly spiritual approach to politics, as she told voters she would “harness love for political purposes” and take on Donald Trump’s “dark psychic force”.

Ms Williamson says she’s challenging Joe Biden because she believes she can “contribute to harnessing the collective sensibility that I feel is our greatest hope at this time”.

Unlikely: Gavin Newsom

California governor Gavin Newsom speaks to victims’ families and local leaders after a mass shooting in Half Moon Bay, California, on January 24, 2023.(AP Photo: Aaron Kehoe)

Background: Governor of California, former lieutenant-governor of California, former mayor of San Francisco

Home state: California

Age on election day 2024: 57

As the governor of California and a former mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom has earned a reputation as a slick, ambitious politician, able and willing to change tactics as circumstances require.

Despite a history of personal scandals and a number of recent crises in the Golden State, he’s currently riding high in state polls and handily beat an effort to recall him in 2021.

Mr Newsom has spoken about running for president in the future, but has repeatedly denied he’s running in 2024 — going so far as to say there’s “no one better to lead” than Mr Biden.

A day is a year in politics, though, and his recent eagerness to weigh in on national issues — not to mention his perpetual battle with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis — points to someone who is aware he should at least keep the door open should circumstances change.

Poll-watchers say it’s not a matter of if, but when Mr Newsom runs for president.

Fun fact: He used to be married to Kimberly Guilfoyle, who’s now engaged to Donald Trump Jr.

Unlikely: Gretchen Whitmer

Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer speaks about an electric ute at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan, on September 16, 2021.(Reuters: Rebecca Cook)

Background: Governor of Michigan, former state senator, former state representative

Home state: Michigan

Age on election day 2024: 53

Outside of being the target of an ill-fated kidnapping attempt, Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer isn’t too widely known beyond the borders of the United States.

But as a female, second-term governor with a liberal record who is nevertheless popular in a swing state — and who just soundly defeated a Trump-backed opponent — Ms Whitmer is someone who ticks all the boxes required for a Democrat to mount a formidable primary campaign.

She’s managed to pass a slate of left-leaning legislation in Michigan despite rock-solid Republican opposition, and is beginning to see her national spotlight grow as she pioneers the use of Gen-Z-friendly platforms like TikTok and Twitch to reach younger voters.

The only issue is she’s flatly said she’s backing President Biden — even if she’s keeping her options open in the future.

Unlikely: JB Pritzker

Illinois governor Jay Robert (JB) Pritzker speaks during a science initiative event at the University of Chicago on July 23, 2020.(Reuters: Kamil Krzaczynski)

Background: Governor of Illinois, former businessman, former political staffer

Home state: Illinois

Age on election day 2024: 59

A member of the wealthy Pritzker family, which owns the Hyatt hotel chain, billionaire Jay Robert “JB” Pritzker was a longtime Democratic donor before winning the party’s nomination for Illinois governor in 2018.

While a billionaire investor might seem an unlikely ally of progressives, the 58-year-old governor has won over the party’s left with a string of policy wins in his state, having legalised recreational cannabis, enacted a $US15 minimum wage, codified access to abortions after the overturning of Roe v Wade and enacted a ban on assault weapons.

He’s also open about his intent to run for higher office one day, and hasn’t hesitated to spend his own money to achieve political goals.

Mr Pritzker was spoken about for some time as the Democrats’ “break glass” option for 2024 if Joe Biden decided not to run. But he’s now strongly endorsed Mr Biden, launching a spirited defence of the incumbent’s decision to seek re-election and taking up a position on the president’s campaign advisory board.

“I don’t think there’s anybody that’s serious that’s actually considered running against Joe Biden because he’s done such a great job,” he said.

Unlikely: Dean Phillips

United States Congressman Dean Phillips on September 16, 2020.(Pool via Reuters: Kevin Dietsch)

Background: Congressman, businessman

Home state: Minnesota

Age on election day 2024: 55

Citing polling showing most Democratic voters would prefer to field an alternative candidate to Joe Biden, third-term Minnesota congressman Dean Phillips has begun speaking out against the president’s seemingly obstacle-free path to the Democratic nomination.

“Democrats are telling me that they want, not a coronation, but they want a competition,” he told CBS’s Face the Nation in August.

“If we don’t heed that call, shame on us. And the consequences, I believe, are going to be disastrous.”

A former liquor CEO and ideological moderate, Mr Phillips says he’s calling on all qualified candidates to jump into the race.

He’s also met with Democratic donors to discuss his own possible run — although he says his own candidacy is “very unlikely” to be part of the 2024 story.

Unlikely: Pete Buttigieg

US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks at a news conference at the construction site of the Hudson Tunnel Project in New York on Tuesday, January 31, 2023.(AP Photo: John Minchillo)

Background: Secretary of transportation, former mayor of South Bend, former US Navy Reserve lieutenant

Home state: Indiana

Age on election day 2024: 42

A former mayor of South Bend, Indiana (population 100,000), Pete Buttigieg ran an unexpectedly strong (and just plain unexpected) race for the presidency in 2020 before being chosen to become Mr Biden’s transportation secretary.

Since then, he’s been an effective surrogate for Mr Biden on morning TV and cable news, and a popular presence on the campaign trail for Democrats in the 2022 midterms.

While politically talented, experience nevertheless remains a question for Mr Buttigieg, who’ll be just 42 by the time the election rolls around — although he will have spent four years in Mr Biden’s cabinet since his last campaign.

If elected president, he would be the first openly gay person to hold the office, as well as the youngest president ever elected.

Mr Buttigieg has backed Mr Biden’s re-election campaign, and says “I don’t have any plans to do any job besides the one I’ve got.”

It’s not the most categorical of denials, but it is a sign that a challenge against his boss is very unlikely to happen.

Unlikely: Stacey Abrams

Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams concedes the 2022 governor’s race in Atlanta on November 8, 2022.(AP Photo: Ben Gray)

Background: Former Georgia state minority leader, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate, voting rights activist

Home state: Georgia

Age on election day 2024: 50

Stacey Abrams makes a point of being open about her ambitions, telling interviewers she has a responsibility to show young people of colour they can aim for the top.

She first came to national prominence after outperforming expectations in a tough governor’s race in 2018, and campaigned to be included on Mr Biden’s list of potential running mates in 2020.

The massive voter organisation effort she put together for her own campaign was credited with helping turn Georgia blue in the 2020 presidential and senate elections, as well as helping senator Raphael Warnock fend off a challenge from college football superstar Herschel Walker in 2022.

However, the Georgia governorship has remained just out of reach for Ms Abrams, and leapfrogging it to announce a White House bid could open her to attacks claiming she’s not electable — a difficulty she is already facing as she mulls a third run for the governor’s mansion.

Ms Abrams has made it clear she won’t run for president if Mr Biden is running. But if something causes him to shift course, an outsider bid would be very on-brand.

Green Party: Cornel West

Political activist Cornel West announces his candidacy for the US presidency via social media on June 5, 2023.(Supplied)

Background: Philosopher, progressive activist

Home state: Oklahoma/New York

Age on election day 2024: 72

One of America’s most prominent public intellectuals, Cornel West launched his third-party presidential bid with a video on Twitter set to jazz music.

“In these bleak times, I have decided to run for truth and justice which takes the form of running for president of the United States as a candidate for the People’s Party,” he said.

A few days later he said he would be seeking the Green Party nomination instead.

The philosopher and activist, called Brother West by his supporters, is just as widely known for his appearances in popular media as for his academic career, which has seen him teach at Harvard, Princeton and Dartmouth universities.

He’s appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher and Joe Rogan’s podcast, released hip-hop albums, and made cameo appearances in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.

Throughout his long career he’s championed progressive causes such as racial justice, ending poverty and mass incarceration, pacifism, and universal healthcare.

Dr West, a Christian who refers to himself as a non-Marxist socialist, has supported left-wing presidential candidates in the past, including Bill Bradley, Jill Stein and Bernie Sanders.

While he doesn’t stand much of a chance at winning the White House, his candidacy will worry Democrats concerned he could siphon votes away Mr Biden, potentially handing the election to the Republicans.

Independent: Joe Manchin?

West Virginia senator Joe Manchin speaks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Afghanistan on September 28, 2021.

Background: Senator for West Virginia, former governor of West Virginia, coal and real estate broker

Home state: West Virginia

Age on election day 2024: 77

Conservative Democratic senator Joe Manchin, who represents coal-loving West Virginia, has long been a thorn in the side of the progressive wing of his party, using his position to loudly undercut left-wing talking points and stall or sink progressive legislation.

His supporters argue he’s essentially a bonus vote, delivering the Democrats a regular senator from one of the country’s reddest states who can be counted on to vote for majority leaders, judges and the occasional big-ticket item such as the Affordable Care Act.

Forever decrying partisanship and political extremes on both sides of the aisle, he’s now toying with taking things a step further, as he refuses to rule out an independent or third-party bid for the presidency in 2024.

He’s attended several events hosted by No Labels, a non-partisan group chaired by Republican Larry Hogan and former Democrat Joe Lieberman that intends to run a unity ticket as a third option in 2024.

Don’t call him a spoiler candidate, though.

“I’ve never been in any race I’ve ever spoiled. I’ve been in races to win. If I get in the race, I’m gonna win,” he told a town hall in New Hampshire in July.

“I haven’t made a decision,” he quickly added.

Independent: Liz Cheney?

Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney speaks during the Anti-Defamation League’s Never is Now summit in New York on November 10, 2022.(Reuters: Jeenah Moon)

Background: Professor of politics, former congresswoman, former diplomat

Home state: Wyoming

Age on election day 2024: 58

Former Wyoming congresswoman Liz Cheney, the daughter of George W Bush vice-president Dick Cheney, was once considered to have serious street cred in the Republican Party.

That changed in the wake of the January 6 attack, after which she became one of the few Republicans to genuinely stand up to Mr Trump, serving on the commission to investigate the attack and calling out her colleagues for their unwillingness to confront the former president.

Her unwillingness to “go along with President Trump’s lie” cost her her seat in Congress.

Ms Cheney has spoken openly about challenging Mr Trump since then, and has built up a considerable campaign war chest. But she’s acknowledged that if she were to be on the ballot in 2024, it wouldn’t be as a Republican.

She says she’ll make a decision soon. In the meantime, she’s taken on a professorship at the University of Virginia as she mulls things over.

Independent: Larry Hogan?

Maryland governor Larry Hogan holds a news conference in Annapolis, Maryland, on July 22, 2020.(Reuters: Jonathan Ernst)

Background: Former governor of Maryland, former Maryland secretary of appointments, land broker

Home state: Maryland

Age on election day 2024: 68

Frequent Trump critic Larry Hogan says he has made the “difficult decision” not to run for president as a Republican, citing the need to avoid repeating “the same mistakes that we made in 2016” by splitting the anti-Trump vote.

“It’s better for us to have a smaller field with a strong candidate or two rather than 10 or more people who are failing to get attention, who are all in single digits,” he said.

However, the former Maryland governor said in early September that he has not closed the door on a White House run as a No Labels candidate — the same group courting Democratic senator Joe Manchin.

“I think we should only put together a ticket in the event that it’s Trump and Biden,” he told CBS’s Face the Nation.

“Nobody’s trying to spoil anything. This is about actually receiving a majority of the votes.”

A centrist, Mr Hogan blames Mr Trump’s domination of the Republican Party for its lacklustre results in 2018, 2020 and 2022, when he said the Republicans should have won the Senate.

He says the better way forward is for parties to have a message — and a candidate — that appeals to a wider group of people.

“I think kind of doubling down on the rhetoric just to appeal to the base may backfire in a general election,” he told NPR’s Morning Edition.

His own electoral success is unquestionable, having left office due to term limits with a 77 per cent approval rating — one of the highest in the country for a governor — despite being a Republican running a deeply blue state.

The post Who’s operating for president of the US in 2024? This is your information to the candidates appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SEQUIM — Housing and social services were among the topics discussed at a Sequim City Council candidate forum earlier this month.

Similar topics were considered by William Armacost and Kathy Downer, who are running for Position 1, during the Oct. 3 League of Women Voters Forum. A story specifically about that contest was published in the Peninsula Daily News on Oct. 14.

Also speaking at that forum were Jim Black and Dan Butler, running for Position 2, and Patrick Day and Harmony Rutter, running for Position 6. Their views are published in this story.

To view the forum, see youtube.com/@leagueof
womenvotersclallam279.

All candidates are running in Tuesday’s General election.

Housing

Rutter, a Washington State University Extension office staffer, described affordable housing as a
“big emergency.”

She said she wants to continue the council’s initiatives, including how to make accessory dwelling units a better part of the solution, changing zoning, and attracting more apartments to the city.

Day, a retired security police officer, said the city is moving in the right direction, but he’d like to evaluate utility rates for new developments and using land around the city for workforce housing and apartments.

“Our land and city footprint is relatively small,” he said. “We are running out of areas to put this that are reasonable.”

Butler, a part-time church administrator and a language researcher, supports ongoing city initiatives and speaking to developers about how to incentivize developing workforce housing and expand land trust initiatives similar to Habitat for Humanity’s proposed city project.

Black, a retired software engineer, also said he supports Habitat’s project, and that the city needs to look at zoning and permitting, and work with Clallam County officials on building housing outside of city limits.

“This is a small area on the (North Olympic) Peninsula,” he said. “People don’t necessarily have to live in Sequim. They can commute to work. We can try to work out options there.”

Services

As Sequim grows, Black said it’s showing “concerning signs of change for the worse, including tent encampments, stores locking up merchandise, and people living on the streets.”

“We have to do better than Seattle, Portland and San Francisco,” he said.

Some of his preferred solutions include offering “full pathways to recovery,” and work training.

Butler feels the city should provide more funding for health and human services.

“The current crisis we have with human services is systemic to our our national policy and Sequim is not the source of the problem and the solution won’t be won’t be solved in Sequim,” he said.

He said he’s learning to be more mindful of less privileged people and learn their stories.

While working at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Butler said he engages many people sleeping by their building and he hasn’t met anyone who made a deliberate choice to live without shelter.

“Each one has a story,” he said.

Black said what the city spends is appropriate to what’s effective.

His concern, he said, is for people addicted to drugs and/or have mental illness and getting them help, trained and back to work if possible. He said connecting them with nonprofits like Oxford House would be effective along with training more young people in trades.

Health and human service funding contracts should be explored more “hand-in-hand” with agencies, Day said.

He wants to invest more in infrastructure for children, too, so “they stay out of trouble and they have things to do and they build their minds and their experiences.”

Day considers mental health issues and drug/alcohol addiction important in dealing with homelessness. He said that as an officer, he ran a methadone clinic inside a prison and that 80 percent of those with drug and alcohol issues were self-medicating mental health problems. Once they were being treated for both addiction and mental health issues, Day said, clients had a 70 percent recovery rate.

Rutter said she feels the city should spend more on health and human service funding while working with regional organizations to help people who need support. If elected, she said she’ll make sure the city is showing up to provide services to those who need it.

“There’s so many excellent excellent organizations out there, and I really look forward to working with them,” she said.

CTE

Both Black and Butler supported the city council’s decision to pledge $250,000 to a Career and Technical Education (CTE) building at Sequim High School, despite the project being put on hold.

Black said he grew up in Milwaukee, Wis., where there were a lot of options to pursue going into a trade, and his two sons learned computer networking in high school.

Butler said providing technical training is essential as Sequim has moved away from an emphasis on agriculture to a service-based and seasonal tourist-based economy.

He wants the city to look more into high speed internet, more bike- and pedestrian-friendly streets and sidewalks, and more collaboration with sister cities.

Day said union representatives he’s spoken with nationwide say there needs to be more service-related training and schools need to add vocational training.

He said programs for woodworking, mechanics and plumbing — similar to when he was in school — are going away and those “career fields are dying for people to get in there and work.”

Rutter said she would support the project if it came back to the council for a pledge. She also feels it’s important for the council to help safeguard natural resources and help increase access to higher speed internet in the area, as it would lead more businesses to bring their work to Sequim.

Climate

Black said his emphasis is to address drug addiction and mental health issues.

“A small city like Sequim doesn’t have the kind of money to deal with that if that gets out of hand,” he said.

Additionally, Black said they need to make schools attractive to people who want to move here.

On the city’s Planning Commission, Butler said he’s become familiar with the city’s Comprehensive Plan and how it drives investment priorities for infrastructure and what roads, sewer and water projects are prioritized. He said the most important part initially of the 2025-2035 plan will be community stakeholder meetings.

________

Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach him at matthew.nash@sequimgazette.com.

The post Sequim candidates Black, Butler, Day, Rutter talk about council subjects appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

As most of the Republican presidential candidates prepare to take the stage for the first debate in Milwaukee, here’s a rundown on who they are.

Who will appear at the debate?

Eight Republicans will appear at the debate, which will air from 9. to 11 p.m. Wednesday on Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, foxnews.com, and the streaming service Rumble.

The participants are North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.

A ninth candidate, former President Donald Trump, qualified, but has chosen not to participate.

Four candidates missed the Republican National Committee’s polling and fundraising threshold. They are: Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, former Rep. Will Hurd of Texas, businessman Perry Johnson and radio host Larry Elder.

Related:Snubbed for GOP debate, Will Hurd blames refusal to sign ‘blood oath’ to Donald Trump

What major offices have the candidates held?

Of the nine Republican candidates invited to the debate, eight have held elected office.

Trump and Pence have served as president and vice president, respectively. Six have served as governors, two currently (DeSantis and Burgum) and four previously (Pence in Indiana, Hutchinson, Haley and Christie).

One candidate, Scott, is a sitting senator, while four have served in the House: Pence, DeSantis, Hutchinson and Scott.

Haley served in Trump’s Cabinet as United Nations ambassador.

Ramaswamy has not held elected office.

How many of the candidates are lawyers?

More than half the 2024 GOP candidates have law degrees, though not all have practiced law in recent years. Of these, the most prominent figures in the law have probably been Christie, who served as a U.S. attorney in New Jersey, and Hutchinson, who was a U.S. attorney in Arkansas.

Here’s where the candidates earned their law degrees:

Christie (Seton Hall University)

DeSantis (Harvard University)

Hutchinson (University of Arkansas)

Pence (Indiana University)

Ramaswamy (Yale University )

Suarez and Elder, who did not qualify for the debate, also have law degrees (from the University of Florida and University of Michigan, respectively).

One candidate, Burgum, earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Stanford University.

Who has served in the military?

Among the nine Republican candidates invited to debate, only DeSantis has military service, having risen to lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy. He served on active duty between 2004 and 2010 and then for nine more years in the reserves. (DeSantis used his law degree as a member of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, including in service at the Guantánamo Bay detention center in Cuba.)

How old are the candidates?

The oldest Republican or Democratic candidate is President Joe Biden, at 80.

Trump is the GOP field’s eldest candidate at 77.

Among Republicans who will be on stage, only Hutchinson is in his 70s. Pence, Burgum and Christie are in their 60s; Scott and Haley are in their 50s; DeSantis is 44; and Ramaswamy is 38.

Ramaswamy is roughly the age Democrat Pete Buttigieg was when the future transportation secretary ran for president in 2020.

How diverse are the Republicans on stage?

Scott is Black, and Haley and Ramaswamy have South Asian ancestry. Among the candidates who didn’t qualify, Suarez is Hispanic, Elder is Black, and Hurd is multiracial — making this the most diverse Republican field in history.

The previous GOP field with the most racial and ethnic diversity was in 2016, when one Black candidate (Ben Carson) and two Hispanic candidates (Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz) sought the nomination.

Alan Keyes, who is Black, ran long shot Republican bids in 1996, 2000 and 2008.

How many women are running?

Haley is the 2024 Republican field’s lone woman.

That’s par for the course in contested Republican primaries this century. In 2000, former Cabinet member and future North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole ran. In 2012, then-Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota ran. In 2016, corporate executive Carly Fiorina ran.

How have the candidates fared on PolitiFact’s Truth-O-Meter?

Of candidates in either party, we’ve fact-checked Biden the most this year, at 24 times. Biden hasn’t had any True or Pants on Fire ratings, but he’s had a roughly equal number of Mostly True, Half True, Mostly False and False ratings.

Among Republicans who qualified for the debate, we’ve fact-checked Trump the most this year, with 17 checks. Most of Trump’s checks ended up in the lower half of our meter: four Mostly False, eight False and two Pants on Fire ratings. (Trump is also our overall fact-check leader with 979.)

DeSantis had the second-highest number of fact-checks of any Republican this year, with 14. No other GOP candidate had more than seven fact-checks in 2023.

Did you know? Facts about the GOP field

Doug Burgum: He started a chimney sweep business in college.

Chris Christie: He has attended more than 100 Bruce Springsteen concerts.

Ron DeSantis: He married his wife, Casey, at the Walt Disney World resort in Orlando, Florida, in 2009.

Nikki Haley: She has long gone by her middle name, Nikki, which means “little one” in Punjabi.

Asa Hutchinson: He succeeded his brother, Tim, in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mike Pence: He was friendly with actor Woody Harrelson at Hanover College in the 1980s.

Vivek Ramaswamy: He has publicly rapped Eminem’s “Lose Yourself.”

Tim Scott: At 16, he survived a serious car accident that derailed what could have been a promising football career.

Will Hurd: He speaks Urdu, a language widely used in Pakistan, where Hurd worked undercover for the CIA.

Francis Suarez: He was believed to be the first elected official in the U.S. to receive his salary in bitcoin.

Perry Johnson: He has won five National Bridge Championships and finished eighth in an international championship in 1998.

By Louis Jacobson, PolitiFact staff writer

The post Who’re the candidates on the GOP debate in Milwaukee, and what are their backgrounds? appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Westside Seattle reached out to the District 1 candidates for Seattle City Council and those we could reach were asked to prepare one minute answers to four questions and send their responses back on video. The goal was to allow voters to quickly be able to contrast and compare the candidates on important issues. By no means is this set of comparisons a full picture of who the candidates are or an example of how they might perform in the role. They are presented here and in the video below in alphabetical order

Question One

The issue of homelessness is especially acute in Seattle. In June 2021, the City Council approved a plan to use $49 million of the $128 million from federal COVID-19 relief funds to support the city’s homeless population. In fact Seattle tripled its spending on homelessness over the past eight years, yet tents still line our freeways, and the population remains stubbornly high. 

What concrete measures will you advocate for and what if any legislation will you work to pass to reduce the number of homeless, remedy the urban blight and demonstrate humanity in the process?

Preston Anderson 

I worked with the VA healthcare system and have worked extensively in the homes programs over the course of my 12 year career as a clinical social worker housing veterans, the VA has cut veteran homelessness by over 50% over the last 10 years. They achieved this not just by funding homeless programs. But by also implementing programmatic standards that are guided by evidence based practices and are clinically appropriate for the population, the VA homeless programs are held to these standards by an outside accrediting agency, ensuring that our work is done efficiently and effectively, and ultimately introducing an element of accountability. This ensures that people do not continue to cycle in and out of homelessness. I currently manage transitional housing programs for homeless veterans. This represents just one piece of the suite of housing options available for our homeless. It’s important that we build out transitional housing programs quickly and throughout the region to supplement our efforts at building out permanent supportive housing, reducing veteran homelessness and homelessness in general is a priority of mine on the Council. 

Maren Costa 

Our leadership has known for 10 plus years that Seattle is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. But our housing policy has looked like it’s from the 1970s. We may have tripled spending on homelessness over the past eight years, but much of that money was used for sweeps, which are consistently proven to be ineffective. In 2022, the city spent $5.8 million on permanent housing, but $15 million on sweeps. Those numbers should at the very least, be reversed. It’s observed that we continue these failed policies year after year and continue to criminalize homelessness instead of bringing people inside, which has been most evidenced effective and practical solution, the unsheltered population isn’t stubbornly high. Rather, the failings of our Band-Aid policies are stubbornly ineffective. I propose a vacancy tax. We have 30,000 vacant units in this city. With our crisis, we can’t afford to allow these units to remain vacant. Unless the funds raised through that tax would directly contribute to permanent housing solutions for those experiencing homelessness. 

Jean Ianelli Craciun 

As a council member, I will work tirelessly to make government accountable, transparent and efficient. This is what I have done in a 30 year owner of a market research company. What have we done with this homeless problem and how can it be a more humane process? I understand we’ve spent a billion dollars on this problem and I’m wondering on what exactly, and doing what I supported the five crisis centers. And I would continue to grow the mental health workforce, including support for the mental health technology transfer center network and all their training. I think we need to calculate mandatory wage increases for workers and contracts offered through the Seattle Human Services Department for the homeless service providers. The people on the ground that are solving the homeless should not be a step away from homelessness themselves, and I support the frontline DCR’s designated crisis responders. Who know first hand and lived experiences of those currently on the streets of Seattle. 

Rob Saka 

The homelessness crisis in our city has devolved into a homelessness catastrophe of epic humanitarian proportions. People are demanding better accountability for outcomes. As a former foster kid, I know what it’s like to feel uprooted and swept away. I also know we must do better for our unhoused neighbors. That’s why I plan to strengthen clean up and removal of unauthorized encampments that connect people with services and shelter. We also need to expand and invest in our mental health resources and capacity. 3rd I plan to increase the supply of affordable housing at all levels, particularly for low and middle income folks. And finally, we need to partner with local, state and federal governments to figure out the best funding solutions for all this. We need to not only address the root causes, but also the symptoms. 

Phil Tavel 

Look, Seattle has spent hundreds of millions of dollars trying to tackle our homelessness crisis, and it just keeps getting worse. What that tells me is that there are two things. That we seriously need to do right away, and this is where I’m going to start. One, we need to put into place clear metrics. What that means is if you’re a homeless service provider you are going to state what you intend to accomplish, when, and how much money it will take, and if you’re not getting people off the street into housing if you’re not getting people tied to wrap around services to deal with mental health issues and substance abuse issues then that’s going to be an issue and that’s going to lead to the second part, which is accountability and what that means is for those providers that are failing to accomplish their goals based on the metrics we’re going to set, you stop getting money from the city. We are only going to put money into programs that prove they can work. We’ve been throwing money down this pit for long enough. And we have to stop it if we want to truly help people, we need to put money where it works. 

Question Two

Crime rates are up with 5,784 property crimes per 100,000 people and violent crimes sharply higher at 736 per 100,000 in 2022. Yet there’s something more, and it’s obvious to even the casual observer. People driving wildly, more brazen break ins and disregard for others. Beyond measures to improve police recruiting, and retention what can you do as a City Council person to advocate for and  change the atmosphere of anarchy and lawlessness across the city?

Preston Anderson 

For the second question, it is important that we adequately staff our Police Department. Having an adequately staffed Police Department ensures that the officers on the beat are able to do their job safely and effectively. I also believe that we need to invest more in crisis responders who can, if this seems safe to do so, respond to those in crises and triage that person’s needs. I don’t view policing and the deployment of social service providers and crisis responders as an either/or equation, but rather a both/and solution. It is also critically important that we build out and staff substances disorder, treatment centers that are able to provide clinical stability to many who have turned to crime to fund their substance use or may be causing disorder and criminal activity due to them being under the influence of illicit substances. 

Maren Costa 

To improve safey In our city, first and foremost, we must drive a better bargain with Spog to provide alternative response models. The SPOG (Seattle Police Officers Guild) contract shouldn’t be a barrier for allowing police to respond to dangerous, violent situations, while a third public safety department handles calls where traditional police officers aren’t needed. Additionally, we have to address root causes of criminal behavior. We have $30,000 hiring bonuses for new officers, yet we’re netting 30 new officers per year and we want 500. We simply can’t put public safety on hold while we continue. On recruit work on recruiting police, we need alternative solutions to address root causes. Now, data backed prevention strategies like Community Court with 80% of people who enter who don’t reoffend, and familial counseling programs should be fully funded because they actually reduce recidivism. Unlike the traditional carceral system. 

Jean Ianelli Craciun 

As a sociologist with a focus in criminology, I would ask that we accurately look at some of these crime statistics. I know that we’re feeling unsafe. I had my bike stolen last weekend and I do see road rage, but these also are reactions to having lived through a pandemic. And we feel honest fear. Statistically speaking, overall crime decreased in the fourth quarter of 2022. Chief Diaz reported that so far in 2023, we are still in a downward trajectory. Something that is of concern is a report today. It’s May 30th before the judge on the consent decree adds information that Seattle police killings rose under the federal oversight before 20/12/12. People had been shot by police between 2013. In 2019, 21 people were killed. This is something we need to understand. 

Rob Saka 

As an appointed member on the mayor’s police chief search committee, I’ve fought hard to make sure we have safer streets. Everyone has a right to feel safe in their own neighborhoods and communities, and we need better response times for more police. To get there, we’re going to have to hire more police. We can also fully empower our police and our first responders to effectively carry out their public safety mandate and enforce existing laws on the books. We also need to invest in non armed responses to police for certain crisis and behavioral health situations, crisis responses that are led by mental and behavioral health specialists rather than someone showing up with the badge and a gun. Through this multi layered approach we can make sure that Seattle is truly a safe, welcoming and thriving community for all. 

Phil Tavel 

I think we’re all getting pretty frustrated and pretty fed up with the rise in property crimes and violent crimes, and especially the rise in gun violence around Seattle is utterly unacceptable. One of the things we need to do is we need to change the narrative. The narrative right now is that we don’t have enough police. They don’t make arrests, they don’t investigate it, and that to criminals, it says you can get away with this. So go out and be brazen. Well, we need to change that. That’s going to start with the Seattle City Council standing with the mayor, with the police, with the city attorney and on a frequent basis, we need to highlight the successes when the Police Department does the right things and we either stop crime or solve crime. We need to show that’s happening because right now it sounds like everybody can be lawless and nothing happens. So we need to deal with the staffing issue because we need to get police walking beats in neighborhoods and being a visible presence. That’s a deterrent, but the thing that’s going to do the most right now is a unified front among the leadership in this city, saying no more and we’re not going to take it. 

Question Three

Visitors spent $7.4 billion in the city and county in 2022 (up 37.8% from 2021) and paid $689.1 million in state and local taxes in 2021, an increase of 34.4% from the previous year. Nearly 24 million people visited Seattle and King County in 2022. San Francisco more than doubled its spending on tourism last year. Yet Seattle, San Francisco and Portland all face a decaying downtown. What would you advocate for regarding tourism spending and the revitalization of downtown Seattle?

Preston Anderson 

For the third question, part of District one includes Pioneer Square, part of downtown. It is important that we make the streets of downtown more accessible to pedestrian traffic and more appealing. We can achieve this by enhancing the cleaning crews and Park Rangers that are already deployed downtown. Further, we can ensure that public drug use and retail theft and property destruction are addressed with the right policies. There are options between prosecution, particularly for those that have the mental capacity to understand what they’re doing is a crime. And for those that lack mental capacity, Community Court with wrap around. But most importantly, we will not normalize what has become of certain areas in the city where you find places. plastered with graffiti and where businesses are now surrounded by fences with razor wire and windows with iron bars. 

Maren Costa 

Revitalizing our downtown goes back to fixing homelessness. We have to be spending every dollar we can on bringing people inside Iimmediately. A decaying downtown is one that feels dirty, has crime happening, and has human feces on the sidewalk. We have to get back to the basics and stop putting the cart before the horse. We can aggressively increase emergency permanent housing with micro housing, apartments and sanitation statement stations for safe lots. This will immediately help our businesses. I am also proposing ways, for example, partnering with Seattle. Colleges to attract the industries that will define the next decade, specifically those that will help us respond to the climate crisis as well as rapid advancements in artificial intelligence. I will be a strong advocate for sustainable tourism and local culture and arts, all things that make our beautiful city unique. 

Jean Ianelli Craciun 

People love to come to Seattle and it is a multi billion dollar industry and we cannot disappoint. I did a project through the Diversity Center of Seattle, WA with Visit Seattle and I know that they are hard at work to make our tourists happy and I would say that the Metropolitan Improvement District, (MID) this is the right way to go right now. I will be meeting with Pioneer Square businesses to talk about how District 1 now includes Pioneer Square. The MID goes clearly to the stadiums, so we are already starting to work together on how to explain, demonstrate, show our city off. We have to stay up later and so in order to do that, we will need to work together on cleaning up our entire downtown corridor into Pioneer Square. We want to show off our multicultural communities, and so we’re going to try and bring people into some of our beautiful neighborhoods.

Rob Saka 

Seattle has a vibrant arts and cultural scene. But sadly, downtown is known more recently for fentanyl overdoses than it’s thriving retail and shopping corridors. We must revitalize downtown. To do that, we must make sure people actually feel safe to come downtown. That’s why I plan to hire more police and empower them to effectively carry out their public safety mandate. We also must end the open air drug market in downtown. I also need to fund and implement the mayor’s downtown activation plan. 4th and finally p lan to incentivize small businesses to open up the many vacant storefronts that we have downtown. Through these measures, we can ensure that downtown is a truly safe, clean, and welcoming place for all. 

Phil Tavel 

Obviously tourism and the revenue that comes from that is vital to our success as a city and as a. region in order to be inviting to tourists to generate more revenue, we have to be safe and clean and welcoming. And those are things we absolutely need to work on. Now in the wake of the last few years in COVID and all the things that have happened, we have lost a lot of our iconic businesses, but you know what? Times change and so we need to provide funds from the city and support from the city to allow the businesses to get back on their feet that we haven’t lost to maybe try to lure some of those people back who had to close their doors and stop their businesses to give them an opportunity to come back and be part of a regrowth and a revitalization. But if we don’t fully fund our Police Department, and if we don’t work on homeless services to help people in crisis, we’re not going to be the safe, healthy, clean, inviting city we want to be. So I believe it is important to spend money on those things that generate more money so that we can build the programs we want.

Question Four

A 2020 audit of Seattle’s 77 bridges revealed that many of them are in fair or poor condition. According to SDOT’s Capital Projects and Roadway Structures 2018 Annual Report, the total replacement value for all bridges over 60 years old serviced by Roadway Structures is $3.4 billion. What approach would you pursue to solve this problem and fund these infrastructure repairs?

Preston Anderson 

The 4th question is on the aging infrastructure throughout the city and I’m glad that you asked this question. We have neglected our aging infrastructure for far too long and I intend to prioritize the replacement. Or the rehabilitation of our infrastructure, especially our agent bridges. We are pushing. The limits of safety for a lot of our projects and I think it’s irresponsible to have some bridges in the city that run the risk of failing. Soon and West Seattle residents know all too well how structural failures impact local communities and the economy. I’ll ensure that these projects are funded with the levy to Move Seattle. 

Maren Costa 

To solve our bridge and road infrastructure problems, we will have to revise the Move Seattle levy. The original nine year Levy passed in 2015 will take care of 350 bridge spot repairs and the seismic improvements for one bridge. But we will need to continue these improvements. Our city is still mostly. Dependent on bridges and streets for mobility. And it is. Critical that we coordinate with our regional partners to continue this necessary repair. Their work, ideally the move Seattle levy, will be placed on the wealthiest 1% and used in tandem with other progressive revenue streams that have been stood up by the city and specifically targeted towards improving roads and bridges. There hasn’t been a significant push to raise progressive revenue for transportation infrastructure in many years. And we need to do that promptly. 

Jean Ianelli Craciun 

In April 2023, the Biden Harris administration announced nearly $300,000,000 for a nine bridge project. It comes on the top of billions of dollars in other bridges and Highway funding already flowing to every US state and territory that is helping communities rebuild, repair and replace tens of thousands of bridges across the nation and restoring connections that are vital to commuters, emergency responders, truck drivers, public transit riders and more. We are in on the public transportation section of this. We received $368,000,000 to improve our transit, clean public transit and school buses. But we have to get in on the Federal Bridge project. West Seattle Bridge is a crisis. We must have a way to get to work, we do not want to be an island off the shores of Seattle and we want to keep our communities engaged in public transportation. I wish all of you a joyful Juneteenth happy pride. I would love your vote. 

Rob Saka 

I’m passionate about these issues, but I’m also passionate about the potholes and our infrastructure situation. That’s why I want to focus on the basics of what I think a well functioning city government can and should be doing for folks. We must employ a multifaceted approach to solve our infrastructure challenges. First we need to create a prioritized list of projects that need repairs based on need. To do that, we’ll want to collaborate closely with transportation agencies and community stakeholders. The work product of which should be a comprehensive plan to figure out which one of these projects we’re going to attack first. Now with respect to funding, we obviously will want to prioritize maintenance and repairs with their own city budget. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t also seek strong federal and state grants as well to supplement our own funds. Third and finally, we should explore innovative financing mechanisms like public private partnerships as well. 

Phil Tavel 

As those of us in District 1 are keenly aware Seattle is not doing a particularly good job maintaining and keeping up its bridges. We’ve got billions of dollars worth of bridge infrastructure in this city, and we spend less than $20 million a year on upkeep and maintenance. Now it is an expensive thing and sometimes we don’t want to spend that money ahead of time, but we have to spend the money in a preventative way so that we know which bridges are aging, which bridges may have a problem, and which bridges need money. Now, luckily, the US Department of Transportation has set aside three separate funds that total $460 million that we can tap into to help maintain our bridges. So we need to prioritize it properly. We need to work on a proper budget within SDOT on maintenance and being able to catch these problems before they become even bigger. But we can tap into the federal money to help us maintain these bridges and get them back up to where they should be. 

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The San Francisco 49ers have only two first draft class players under the supervision of John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan. It just happens that one, George Kittle, has become the best in the league in his position and the other, DJ Jones, is a dependable rotation piece.

While most of those original draft classes have either moved to other organizations or are now out of the league, the 49ers put together solid draft classes from 2018 to 2020. Some of these players have already started seeing considerable playtime but still have more to prove. Here are five players to watch out for in 2021.

1) RT Mike McGlinchey

The inclusion of McGlinchey to start this off might come as a bit of a surprise considering he’s been the right starter since it was voted # 9 in 2018 – 10 design pick.

McGlinchey was a solid run blocker, but his pass blocking leaves much to be desired. This was a concern that came out of college and it showed up in the field. Part of the problem could be the players lining up next to him on the right guard. In 2020, the 49ers played musical chairs on the right guard throughout the season.

With the 49ers investing a second round pick for Aaron Banks, the proper guard position should be cemented, which could lead to an improvement for McGlinchey.

2) WR Brandon Aiyuk

Aiyuk had a solid rookie season, ending 748 yards with 60 catches in just 12 games. The numbers were good, but could have been better.

So what happened Aiyuk was severely restricted by the quarterback game last season. On a number of occasions it was open, but the quarterbacks either couldn’t make the throws or decided not even to try to get it there.

Aiyuk has the ability to be a senior # 1 receiver in the NFL. If the 49ers choose Trey Lance as their quarterback, look for the sophomore wideout to come up with big numbers.

3) DT Javon Kinlaw

The 49ers made Kinlaw the 14th pick in the 2020 draft, and the rookie Defensive Tackle had a year up and down.

On the plus side, Kinlaw led all 49ers center-back lines in tackles with 33.

Kinlaw, on the other hand, struggled to put pressure against the pass and ended up with only 1.5 sacks and 4 quarterback hits, almost all of which came in the 49ers’ loss to New Orleans.

After Kinlaw was only able to work with the team as a rookie in the training camp due to Covid-19 protocols, he was able to work with coaches and teammates in Santa Clara during the entire offseason program. This could help Kinlaw reach new heights in 2021.

4) LB Dre Greenlaw

Greenlaw started 22 regular season games in his first two seasons with the 49ers and finished second on the team at tackles every year.

While Greenlaw has clearly already played at a high level, he makes this list due to the change in the defensive coordinator. With DeMeco Ryans, who is himself a former linebacker, you are looking for the linebackers of the 49ers to intervene even more in the defensive fixtures.

Fred Warner is one of the best linebackers in coverage in the entire NFL. So if Ryans decides to go with print packages, Greenlaw will likely be on the hunt, resulting in an increase in sacks and splash plays for the third year player.

5) WR Jauan Jennings

Kyle Shanahan has shown that he has a very specific way of running his offense and one of them is having a great third wide receiver. With Kendrick Bourne moving to New England, someone has to take on that role.

Jennings, who was selected by the 49ers in the seventh round of the 2020 draft, is likely to be that player. He will face competition from veterans Mohamed Sanu and Jalen Hurd for the role, but Sanu is at the back of his career and Hurd has yet to show that he can be healthy.

Throughout his college career, Jennings demonstrated the ability to get clutch pockets in third place and in the red zone. Look for him to do more of this for the 49ers in 2021.

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