January 10
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul announced his intention to seek the Republican nomination on FOX News Sunday with Chris Wallace. "I'm running because the United States must return to constitutional principles if we are to ever rein in the power of big government and restore liberty to the people," Paul stated while speaking with the host Chris Wallace. The son of former Texas Congressman Ron Paul has built himself up to be the leader of the Tea Party faction of the Republican Party and is bound to do better than his father in the primaries.
January 11
Vice President Joe Biden earlier made a statement that he will be running for president while doing an interview for MSNBC. "Yes, I will be running," Biden said when confronted with a question about his intentions following Hillary Clinton passing up a potential candidacy. The vice president is the immediate frontrunner for the Democratic nomination with Clinton out of the picture, but may face strong challenges from other contenders down the line.
January 13
Outgoing Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley in a speech in Baltimore announced that he will be jumping in the ring for his party's nomination. "We need a strong leader in office who can stand up for the ideals of the Democratic Party, and I'm just the one to do that," O'Malley stated. The governor has made inroads with the party base following strong pushes towards issues such as gun control and the death penalty.
January 16
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced in Newark earlier that he will be running for president in 2016. "I'm here to shake up the status quo down there in Washington and show them who's boss after years of ignoring the American people," Christie said in one point of his speech. Christie, a beloved figure in the state of New Jersey, is highly popular with moderates and even Democrats, but the conservative base that makes up the core of the party is very skeptical towards him and could pose a threat to his candidacy.
January 17
Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum on Meet the Press told the host David Gregory about his desire to run this cycle. "Yes, absolutely, David, I'm running," Santorum stated, "because this nation's morals are disintegrating before our very eyes with liberals like Obama running this country." Santorum, who finished second behind Mitt Romney in the 2012 primaries, has built up a network of supporters since the last election that will ensure continued success with the social conservatives in the Republican Party.
January 18
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo while doing an interview on The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer told CNN about his plans to run for the presidency. "My campaign officially starts today, and this campaign will be about defining true leadership in office, and who has the results to show that," Cuomo said. The governor has the ability to raise large amounts of money for his pursuits with a well-connected infrastructure of donors, and may be the primary competitor to Vice President Biden over the course of the campaign.
I believe that Chris Christie will be much like John McCain was in 2000: the anti-establishment maverick.
This is going to be interesting!
