Teflon Ron for America: a Ron DeSantis TL

[Real Texan Politics]

Before we get into the nitty gritty, let's look back at the 2022 midterms:


As expected, republicans took back the house. Even with more money than ever being spent on "grifter" candidates running against controversial dems in safe D districts, republicans were still able to take back many competitive seats.

Senate

Republicans: 51 (+1)

Democrats (including Sanders and King): 49 (-1)

Governors (including 2021)

Republicans: 28 (+3)

Democrats: 22 (+2)

February 2023: President Biden Will NOT Seek Re-Election

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President Biden has announced that due to his old age and declining health, he will not seek re-election, instead serving the remainder of his term before retiring back to his home in Delaware with his family.

Online speculation begins on whether or not several prominent democrats will run for president as his successor, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, entrepreneur and perennial candidate Andrew Yang, former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Georgia Governor Stacey Abrams, and Vice President Kamala Harris. Abrams and Yang decline; Abrams due to just recently being elected governor, and Yang in order to focus on political activism, but says he'll campaign for whoever the democrats nominate. Gabbard declines at the moment, but does say she'll consider it later on. And as for Kamala Harris...well......

Vice President Harris Announces 2024 Presidential Run

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Only a few days after Biden announces his retirement after the end of his term, Vice President Harris announces her presidential bid for 2024. In her first campaign ad, she promises to continue what President Biden had promised, but with her own twist on it. This includes support for a Green New Deal, Medicare for All, and a $15 per hour federal minimum wage.

If she were to win the 2024 presidential election, she would be the first female president, and the most recent born (as she was born in 1964, 3 years after Barack Obama's birth year of 1961).

[Utah Neolib]

oh no

[Real Texan Politics]

oh no

Oh yes

[Real Texan Politics]

Update: Sorry for writer's block, I'll be back with this soon along with my Stacey Abrams governor TL!

I'd also like to do another recap of the previous years leading up to Kamala entering the race (DeSantis will soon, I promise ). Of course we have to discuss the economy, as that's just about the most important issue regarding every election.

The labor shortage continues on through the 2022 midterms. Though several republican states took away unemployment bonuses to bring people back to work, those were struck down by federal judges, prolonging the labor shortage. President Biden commented on this saying "People aren't working because they'd rather live off unemployment bonuses, they're not working because they're not getting paid enough. I'm calling on congress to pass a $15 minimum wage, or any wage increase, by the end of my term."

Despite Biden's words, congress is unable to come to an agreement on a wage increase, only making the problem worse, causing the unemployment rate to remain rather stagnant. Missouri senator Josh Hawley once again introduced legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15 for billion-dollar corporations, but was unable to pass as many republicans opposed a wage increase all together, and democrats opposed it since it didn't go far enough.

It also didn't help that with the rise of the Delta variant of COVID-19, many democratic states brought back mask mandates (including for fully vaccinated individuals) and brought back capacity limits, making any economic gains rather short-lived. Some of these same states also announced "seasonal lockdowns", which would greatly lower capacity of businesses during the winter months, as they proved to be the strongest months for COVID. These would be planned to last for the next few years.

Related to the labor shortage came another worrying sign for the economy, a gas shortage. Due to the lack of truck drivers, many gas stations across the country had limited fuel, also causing a spike in gas prices.

All of this and more caused worry among the American public that the country (and the world) would face a much longer than expected recession. If the worry is to come true, it could end up spelling trouble for the democrats in 2024.

[Utah Neolib]

How many districts did the Rs gain?

[Real Texan Politics]

How many districts did the Rs gain?

I won’t do the exact number for the point of my own sanity, but I’d put their seats at around 220-235, give or take a few.

[Real Texan Politics]

March 2023: Trump Reportedly Vetting GOP Primary Candidates

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According to a republican source, former president Donald Trump has been reportedly vetting potential republican primary candidates for 2024. It is reported that Trump has invited the potential candidates to his Mar-a-Lago resort for one-on-one interview sessions. These candidates include:

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
Former UN Ambassador/Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley
Texas Senator Ted Cruz
MyPillow CEO/Election Integrity Activist Mike Lindell
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton
Florida Representative Matt Gaetz
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
Florida Senator Marco Rubio

Each of the candidates listed were interviewed by Trump. The following list of candidates were invited by Trump, but declined the interview with reasons listed below.

Missouri Senator Josh Hawley (running for re-election)
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (no interest)
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (no interest)
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott (retiring after term is over in 2029)
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (retired due to old age)
Fox News Host Tucker Carlson (no interest)
Fox News Host Sean Hannity (no interest)
Iowa Senator Joni Ernst (no interest, but did express interest in being VP)
Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (currently considering 2026 senate run in Georgia)
Conservative Activist Candace Owens (no interest at the moment)
Texas Representative Dan Crenshaw (currently planning 2024 senate run in Texas)
Florida Senator Rick Scott (running for re-election)

The anonymous GOP source also reported that Trump will only run again if he is not satisfied with any of the interviewed candidates. He is expected to make an announcement by his wife Melania's birthday, April 26th.

[Tekken_Guy]

March 2023: Trump Reportedly Vetting GOP Primary Candidates

Wikimedia Commons

According to a republican source, former president Donald Trump has been reportedly vetting potential republican primary candidates for 2024. It is reported that Trump has invited the potential candidates to his Mar-a-Lago resort for one-on-one interview sessions. These candidates include:

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
Former UN Ambassador/Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley
Texas Senator Ted Cruz
MyPillow CEO/Election Integrity Activist Mike Lindell
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton
Florida Representative Matt Gaetz
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie

Each of the candidates listed were interviewed by Trump. The following list of candidates were invited by Trump, but declined the interview with reasons listed below.

Missouri Senator Josh Hawley (running for re-election)
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (no interest)
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (no interest)
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott (retiring after term is over in 2029)
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (retired due to old age)
Fox News Host Tucker Carlson (no interest)
Fox News Host Sean Hannity (no interest)
Iowa Senator Joni Ernst (no interest, but did express interest in being VP)
Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (currently considering 2026 senate run in Georgia)
Conservative Activist Candace Owens (no interest at the moment)
Texas Representative Dan Crenshaw (currently planning 2024 senate run in Texas)

The anonymous GOP source also reported that Trump will only run again if he is not satisfied with any of the interviewed candidates. He is expected to make an announcement by his wife Melania's birthday, April 26th.

What about Marco Rubio and Rick Scott?

[Real Texan Politics]

March 2023: Trump Reportedly Vetting GOP Primary Candidates

Wikimedia Commons

According to a republican source, former president Donald Trump has been reportedly vetting potential republican primary candidates for 2024. It is reported that Trump has invited the potential candidates to his Mar-a-Lago resort for one-on-one interview sessions. These candidates include:

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
Former UN Ambassador/Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley
Texas Senator Ted Cruz
MyPillow CEO/Election Integrity Activist Mike Lindell
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton
Florida Representative Matt Gaetz
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie

Each of the candidates listed were interviewed by Trump. The following list of candidates were invited by Trump, but declined the interview with reasons listed below.

Missouri Senator Josh Hawley (running for re-election)
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (no interest)
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (no interest)
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott (retiring after term is over in 2029)
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (retired due to old age)
Fox News Host Tucker Carlson (no interest)
Fox News Host Sean Hannity (no interest)
Iowa Senator Joni Ernst (no interest, but did express interest in being VP)
Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (currently considering 2026 senate run in Georgia)
Conservative Activist Candace Owens (no interest at the moment)
Texas Representative Dan Crenshaw (currently planning 2024 senate run in Texas)

The anonymous GOP source also reported that Trump will only run again if he is not satisfied with any of the interviewed candidates. He is expected to make an announcement by his wife Melania's birthday, April 26th.

What about Marco Rubio and Rick Scott?

Just updated it. Rubio is getting vetted, Scott was invited but declined due to running for re-election.

[Tekken_Guy]

March 2023: Trump Reportedly Vetting GOP Primary Candidates

Wikimedia Commons

According to a republican source, former president Donald Trump has been reportedly vetting potential republican primary candidates for 2024. It is reported that Trump has invited the potential candidates to his Mar-a-Lago resort for one-on-one interview sessions. These candidates include:

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
Former UN Ambassador/Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley
Texas Senator Ted Cruz
MyPillow CEO/Election Integrity Activist Mike Lindell
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton
Florida Representative Matt Gaetz
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie

Each of the candidates listed were interviewed by Trump. The following list of candidates were invited by Trump, but declined the interview with reasons listed below.

Missouri Senator Josh Hawley (running for re-election)
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (no interest)
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (no interest)
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott (retiring after term is over in 2029)
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (retired due to old age)
Fox News Host Tucker Carlson (no interest)
Fox News Host Sean Hannity (no interest)
Iowa Senator Joni Ernst (no interest, but did express interest in being VP)
Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (currently considering 2026 senate run in Georgia)
Conservative Activist Candace Owens (no interest at the moment)
Texas Representative Dan Crenshaw (currently planning 2024 senate run in Texas)

The anonymous GOP source also reported that Trump will only run again if he is not satisfied with any of the interviewed candidates. He is expected to make an announcement by his wife Melania's birthday, April 26th.

What about Marco Rubio and Rick Scott?

Just updated it. Rubio is getting vetted, Scott was invited but declined due to running for re-election.

How about Elise Stefanik, Greg Abbott, or Marsha Blackburn?

[Real Texan Politics]

March 2023: Trump Reportedly Vetting GOP Primary Candidates

Wikimedia Commons

According to a republican source, former president Donald Trump has been reportedly vetting potential republican primary candidates for 2024. It is reported that Trump has invited the potential candidates to his Mar-a-Lago resort for one-on-one interview sessions. These candidates include:

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
Former UN Ambassador/Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley
Texas Senator Ted Cruz
MyPillow CEO/Election Integrity Activist Mike Lindell
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton
Florida Representative Matt Gaetz
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie

Each of the candidates listed were interviewed by Trump. The following list of candidates were invited by Trump, but declined the interview with reasons listed below.

Missouri Senator Josh Hawley (running for re-election)
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (no interest)
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (no interest)
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott (retiring after term is over in 2029)
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (retired due to old age)
Fox News Host Tucker Carlson (no interest)
Fox News Host Sean Hannity (no interest)
Iowa Senator Joni Ernst (no interest, but did express interest in being VP)
Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (currently considering 2026 senate run in Georgia)
Conservative Activist Candace Owens (no interest at the moment)
Texas Representative Dan Crenshaw (currently planning 2024 senate run in Texas)

The anonymous GOP source also reported that Trump will only run again if he is not satisfied with any of the interviewed candidates. He is expected to make an announcement by his wife Melania's birthday, April 26th.

What about Marco Rubio and Rick Scott?

Just updated it. Rubio is getting vetted, Scott was invited but declined due to running for re-election.

How about Elise Stefanik, Greg Abbott, or Marsha Blackburn?

Blackburn’s running for re-election, and Stefanik and Abbott have no interest. Neither of them were invited either. The ones listed were the only ones that were invited.

The last sentence also applies to Mike Pence, who is still friends with Donald Trump, but was not invited to the vetting interview as Pence has retired and Trump didn’t want him running anyways.

[Real Texan Politics]

April 20, 2023: Trump Reportedly "Satisfied" With Primary Field, Will Not Seek Re-Election

According to a leaked memo from a source close to the former president, Donald Trump is reportedly satisfied with the field of candidates he had interviewed, and will not seek re-election. He did not give any endorsements, but gave the green light for all interviewed candidates to run if they wish.

Also according to the source, Trump's official announcement is "imminent", set for April 26, 2023. This date is significant as it is Melania Trump's 53rd birthday.

[Real Texan Politics]

April 26, 2023: Trump Will Not Seek Re-Election

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Former president Donald Trump has officially announced he will not seek re-election, citing wanting to spend more time with his family, as well as his old age (saying "we already have a sleepy president, we don't need another").

Trump did not make any endorsements for the primary, though sources close to him state that he seems to favor Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

So far, only one major candidate has announced a run for president, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. Though with him being a more liberal leaning republican, his chances at clinching the nomination are slim to none.

[Real Texan Politics]

April 28, 2023: Nikki Haley Announces 2024 Presidential Bid

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Former South Carolina Governor and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley has announced her 2024 presidential bid at a campaign kickoff rally in Columbia, South Carolina. She is the first major republican candidate to announce a candidacy since Donald Trump confirmed he would not be running in 2024.

If elected, she would be the first female president of the United States.

However, this was not the only news of the day...

April 28, 2023: Marco Rubio Reportedly "Changed His Mind" About Potential 2024 Bid, Ted Cruz Also Reportedly "Having Second Thoughts"

 

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) are reportedly having second thoughts about their potential 2024 bids. Rubio has reportedly changed his mind all together, and will not be running in 2024 (and is also reportedly pushing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to run). Cruz, on the other hand, is reportedly having a hard time deciding whether to run for president, stay in the senate, or retire from the senate and take time off from politics to spend more time with his family back home in Houston.

Both are expected to make announcements about their decisions within the next week.

[Real Texan Politics]

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for:

April 30, 2023: Ron DeSantis Announces 2024 Presidential Bid

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has just thrown his hat into the 2024 presidential race. At an energetic campaign kickoff event in Jacksonville, DeSantis announced he would seek the republican nomination for president of the United States.

One notable guest at the kickoff event was the outgoing Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry (R), who endorsed DeSantis (who was born in Jacksonville) for president. Curry was the first politician to endorse DeSantis since he announced his candidacy.

After announcing his candidacy, DeSantis quickly became the frontrunner in the race of the three candidates who have already announced (Hogan, Haley, DeSantis). Oddly enough, each of these three candidates represent different factions of the Republican Party:

Hogan - "RINO" Wing
Haley - Neocon Wing
DeSantis - MAGA Wing

May 1, 2023: Marco Rubio Withdraws Consideration for 2024 Presidential Bid, Endorses Nikki Haley for President

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Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) has announced on his Twitter that he would not seek the republican nomination for president, following reports from a few days ago that he had "changed his mind" about entering the race.

In endorsing Haley, Senator Rubio became the first major politician to endorse her.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) had reportedly also had second thoughts about entering the race a few days ago. It is now reported that Cruz has made a decision, and an announcement is "imminent" according to a Cruz staffer.

May 3, 2023: Ted Cruz to Retire from Senate, Will Not Run For President

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Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has also announced on his Twitter that he would not only retire from the United States Senate after the end of his term, but he would also not run for president. Instead, he intends to focus on being with his family back home in Houston.

Of course, many on Twitter joked that he would be retiring to Cancun full time, but this was debunked by Cruz (who is reportedly "sick of the Cancun stuff").

Many are currently speculating that Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) will be Cruz's successor in the senate, but no official announcement has been made as of yet.

Cruz did not make an endorsement for 2024, as he wants to wait until closer to the end of the primary season to make an endorsement. Many close to him, however, say he favors DeSantis.

[2016]

No way would Rubio endorse DeSantis with Haley running for President. This doesn't make any kind of sense. More likely is that Rubio would endorse Haley here.

[Real Texan Politics]

No way would Rubio endorse DeSantis with Haley running for President. This doesn't make any kind of sense. More likely is that Rubio would endorse Haley here.

Fixed it, you're probably right.

[Real Texan Politics]

May 7, 2023: Tom Cotton Announces 2024 Presidential Bid

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At a campaign kickoff rally in Little Rock, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) has announced his 2024 presidential bid.

Many have noted Cotton's similar war hawk views to fellow 2024 republican primary candidate Nikki Haley. A key difference between the two, however, is that Cotton is a staunch ally of former president Trump, while Haley is not as staunch of an ally.

If Cotton is elected president, he would surpass Abraham Lincoln by one inch to become the tallest president in American history, standing at 6 foot 5. He would also be the first president from Arkansas since Bill Clinton.

Current Major Candidates:

Republicans:

Former Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland

Former UN Ambassador and former Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina

Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida

Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas

Democrats:

Vice President Kamala Harris of California

[Real Texan Politics]

Off the bat, it looks like the primary field for the republicans may not be as big as some were expecting it to be, with many potential contenders ruling out presidential bids. Some even planned on running, but changed their minds, such as Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz.

Rand Paul is another example, but changed his mind not because he didn't want to run, but because he couldn't. Rand Paul now divides his time between the senate and taking care of his father, Ron Paul, in Lake Jackson, Texas. Ron Paul, now 88 years old (soon to be 89), is in declining health after recently suffering a massive stroke. Despite Paul not running for president, he did endorse Ron DeSantis for president.

So far, this leaves only three candidates vetted by Trump who have yet to make official announcements; these include:

Businessman Mike Lindell from Minnesota
Representative Matt Gaetz from Florida
Former Governor Chris Christie from New Jersey

While all three of them have not made announcements, reports state that all of them are still in consideration of running, with both Lindell and Gaetz expected to make announcements very soon, and Christie by the end of May. Though all three of them will have to make decisions sooner rather than later, as the first debates are getting closer.

[Real Texan Politics]

Side-note: In light of recent events....

May 10, 2023: Nina Turner Announces 2024 Presidential Bid

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Progressive activist Nina Turner, formerly a city council member for Cleveland, Ohio, and formerly an Ohio state senator, as well as the former national co-chair for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign, has announced her 2024 presidential bid at a rally in Cleveland. She is the first democrat primary challenger to Vice President Kamala Harris, who was widely seen as a "shoe-in" to the nomination.

Just two years ago, Turner made national attention in a failed run for congress in Ohio's 11th congressional district, which she lost in the primary to the more establishment dem leaning Shontel Brown. Turner falsely claimed to have won the race, never called to concede, and never endorsed Brown, and vowed to "continue the fight against the democratic establishment."

Turner's announcement was the first in a string of announcements over the next few days; and oddly enough, the person who would announce right after her was also, shall we say, a bit of a lunatic as well...

May 11, 2023: Mike Lindell Announces 2024 Presidential Bid

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Mike Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow and election integrity activist and staunch ally and supporter of Donald Trump, also known as the "MyPillow guy" to some, has announced his presidential bid for 2024. In an odd move, his announcement rally was held at his company's headquarters in Chaska, Minnesota, a Minneapolis suburb.

With Lindell's entrance into the race, he now represents another faction of the Republican Party, one that revolves around the QAnon conspiracy theory. Lindell has falsely stated numerous times that Trump won the 2020 election, and has continuously claimed that Trump would be reinstated into the presidency, though the date of his "reinstatement" always changed. Lindell is by far the most extreme republican candidate in the race as of now, and will surely be criticized for the controversial statements he has made.

But there's just one more candidate to enter the race in this 3-day period...

May 12, 2023: Matt Gaetz Announces 2024 Presidential Bid

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Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has announced his candidacy for 2024 at a rally in Pensacola, Florida.

With Lindell just entering the race a day prior, it seems there's now two "extreme" republicans in the race, with Gaetz also having falsely claimed that Trump won the election, and that's not to mention Gaetz's sex trafficking scandals.

Gaetz is so far the youngest candidate in the race, at only 41 years old.

Current Major Candidates:

Republicans:

Former Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland

Former UN Ambassador and former Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina

Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida

Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas

Businessman Mike Lindell of Minnesota

Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida

Democrats:

Vice President Kamala Harris of California

Activist Nina Turner of Ohio

[Real Texan Politics]

Incoming wave of presidential bid announcements...

May 18, 2023: Will Hurd Announces 2024 Presidential Bid

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Well this was surprising, and certainly won't be the only surprising announcement. Former Congressman Will Hurd (R-TX) has announced his candidacy for president at a small rally in San Antonio.

Hurd was (and still is) a vocal opponent of Donald Trump (despite voting against his first impeachment in 2019), and was one of the more liberal leaning republicans in the House during his time, something very odd for a Texas republican.

Like Hogan, much of the republican base has called him the one term every republican dreads being called, a RINO. This could prove to be detrimental to his potentially short-lived campaign. But Hurd and Hogan certainly won't be the only "RINO's" to enter the race; in fact, it looks like one just filed paperwork not too long ago. I wonder who this could be? (and spoiler alert: it is NOT Liz Cheney)

May 20, 2023: Ben Sasse Announces 2024 Presidential Bid

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As the third (or maybe fourth if you count Nikki Haley) "RINO" candidate, Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) has announced his candidacy for president at a rally in Omaha. Though the crowds at his rally were, despite being a senator from Nebraska, not really the size he wanted, once again proving his campaign will likely be short-lived. Much of it is, once again, likely due to Sasse's disdain of Donald Trump, who remains the "spiritual leader" of the Republican Party, for better or for worse.

Looks like him and Hurd could potentially find a prime spot in the secondary debate, if there even is one with the (not so large) amount of candidates running at the moment.

In other news though, as a little break from the presidential bid announcements...

May 20, 2023: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez "Not Running", Endorses Nina Turner

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Progressive Congresswoman and activist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) announced in a social media video that she would not be running for president in 2024, and endorsed Nina Turner for president. She was, however, open to the idea of being Turner's running mate if Turner wins the democratic primary (which is highly unlikely).

AOC was heavily speculated to run for president to challenge Biden or Harris, but she had stated previously that she did not have much interest in running just yet. After Nina Turner announced her bid, AOC didn't see a need to challenge both Harris and Turner, the latter of which being a key ally to AOC and the progressive movement.

So far, Turner has received endorsements from numerous progressive activists, including Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian of The Young Turks, as well as Shaun King, Robert Reich, Andrew Yang, Cornel West, Marianne Williamson, as well as the rest of the congressional "squad", including Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley, Jamaal Bowman, Pramila Jayapal, and Cori Bush. Bernie Sanders has yet to endorse Nina Turner, but will easily be the most important endorsement for her, as Bernie is (like Trump) the "spiritual leader" of the progressive movement. Though it's unlikely Bernie's endorsement will increase Turner's chances of winning the primary by all that much anyways.

(side-note: Cori Bush has also just announced she will be running for senate against incumbent Missouri republican senator Josh Hawley in 2024)

Current Major Candidates:

Republicans:

Former Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland

Former UN Ambassador and former Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina

Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida

Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas

Businessman Mike Lindell of Minnesota

Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida

Former Congressman Will Hurd of Texas

Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska

Democrats:

Vice President Kamala Harris of California

Activist Nina Turner of Ohio

[Shaula🏳️‍⚧️]

Tulsi is 100% running against Harris in this situation. They HATE each other.
Also LOL at Bush running against Hawley, she'll lose by 20 points

[Real Texan Politics]

Tulsi is 100% running against Harris in this situation. They HATE each other.
Also LOL at Bush running against Hawley, she'll lose by 20 points

Tulsi isn’t running for president in this TL, but she will be back eventually for a big surprise. Stay tuned

And Bush is probably the most likely candidate to run against Hawley anyways, she hates his guts like you said Tulsi hates Harris. It’ll be a lot of fun watching so much money get spent into getting rid of Hawley only for him to win by 20.

[Real Texan Politics]

May 21, 2023: First Republican Primary Debates Scheduled for August 1st in Houston, Texas

The RNC has announced that the first republican primary debates will be held on August 1, 2023, at the Berry Center in Cypress, Texas (a suburb of Houston).

Candidates who are polling at 1% or higher are allowed to participate, but must announce their candidacy by May 31, 2023 to qualify. These will include all major candidates who have currently announced so far (seen in the previous presidential bid announcements post). Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey, has already filed the paperwork to run, and will announce his candidacy soon.

Due to the lack of candidates running at the moment, a secondary debate will not be needed. As more candidates announce their presidential bid, it's possible future debates will have secondary debates for the low-performing candidates.

The location for the second presidential debates was also announced on the same day. It will be held at the James L. Knight Center in Miami, Florida on September 12th.

[Real Texan Politics]

May 26, 2023: Chris Christie Announces 2024 Presidential Bid

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Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has announced his 2024 presidential bid at a rally in Newark.

Many people have pointed out his extremely low approval ratings at the end of his administration as a major concern about his electability. People also pointed out his bump stock ban in his final days as governor. Those things will easily come up in the debates as attack towards him.

Current Major Candidates

Republicans:

Former Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland

Former UN Ambassador and former Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina

Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida

Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas

Businessman Mike Lindell of Minnesota

Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida

Former Congressman Will Hurd of Texas

Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska

Former Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey

Democrats:

Vice President Kamala Harris of California

Activist Nina Turner of Ohio