Former Vice President Mike Pence, who was Donald Trump’s running mate, will officially announce his candidacy for next year’s presidential election next week.
On the 31st (local time), NBC reported, citing anonymous sources, that Pence will officially announce his presidential bid on the 7th in Iowa, the first state for the Republican primary.
Pence is scheduled to appear at a CNN town hall event in Iowa on that day. However, it is unclear whether he will declare his candidacy at that event or hold a separate announcement. After officially announcing his candidacy, he plans to campaign across all 99 counties in Iowa before the U.S. primary elections take place.
A close aide to Pence told NBC, "Iowa is a place that values the principles, traditional conservatism, and deep-rooted faith that Mike Pence holds," adding, "It will play a pivotal role in this primary."
Having served as vice president during Trump’s administration, if Pence officially announces his run for next year’s election, he will enter into a full-fledged competition with former President Trump for the Republican presidential nomination.
In addition, he will compete for the Republican nomination against eight other candidates considered potential frontrunners, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, U.S. Senator Tim Scott, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
In various polls conducted for the Republican presidential nomination, former President Trump holds an overwhelming lead with over half of the support. According to a CNN poll, DeSantis, considered Trump’s strongest competitor, has 26% support, trailing behind Trump’s 53%.
Previously, Pence was a supporter of Trump during his tenure, but began distancing himself following the January 6 Capitol riot. On January 6, 2020, when presiding over the joint session of Congress to certify Joe Biden’s presidential victory, Pence refused Trump’s "order" to overturn the election results.
Although he faced strong criticism from Trump supporters, Pence responded by raising his voice against issues that traditional conservatives oppose, such as LGBTQ rights, and by touring evangelical Christian churches across the U.S., employing a strategy to rally conservative supporters.
NBC stated, "If he campaigns in Iowa, he will have to persuade Republican voters why he broke with former President Trump and accepted defeat in the 2020 election."
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