As Christie and Pence plan to enter the race, here are the Republicans running for president in 2024

By Victor Reklaitis

Democrats largely close ranks behind President Joe Biden, but Marianne Williamson and RFK Jr. are challenging him

The contest to become the Republican Party's 2024 presidential nominee is heating up further, with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Vice President Mike Pence poised to throw their hats in the ring next week.

Christie, who ran for president unsuccessfully in 2016, plans to announce his candidacy in New Hampshire on Tuesday.

Pence, meanwhile, is expected to launch his campaign in Iowa on Wednesday.

Also due to announce his White House bid on Wednesday is North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who is known in part for selling a software company to Microsoft (MSFT) for $1 billion more than two decades ago.

Last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina both formally kicked off their presidential campaigns, though technical glitches marred DeSantis's launch event on Twitter.

Another South Carolina politician, Nikki Haley, an ex-governor and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, announced her 2024 run in February, and the other Republicans already in the race include former President Donald Trump, who is leading in polls, as well as former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

See:As DeSantis officially launches his presidential campaign, Trump has a big lead in the polls

The first official debate of the GOP presidential primary is slated to be held in Milwaukee in August.

On the Democratic side, President Joe Biden officially launched his re-election campaign in late April, with the move coming even as most Americans don't approve of his performance. The president is talking up the strong job market and his legislative record.

Below is MarketWatch's list of potential Republican presidential contenders and the status of their candidacies.

Name             Title                                                                     Reports or statements on candidacy 
Greg Abbott      Texas governor                                                            Abbott strategist said governor "will take a look at the situation" after state's legislative session ends in late May, but Abbott has passed on speaking in Iowa, a key state 
John Bolton      Former national-security adviser, former ambassador to United Nations     He said Wednesday that he hasn't ruled out running for president in 2024 
Doug Burgum      N.D. governor                                                             He is expected to announce his White House bid this coming Wednesday 
Liz Cheney       Former Wyo. congresswoman                                                 She has said she hasn't made a decision about a 2024 run, but has run a TV ad in New Hampshire, a key state 
Chris Christie   Former N.J. governor                                                      He's expected to announce his candidacy on Tuesday 
Ron DeSantis     Florida governor                                                          He entered the race on May 24 with a glitch-filled kickoff event on Twitter 
Larry Elder      Conservative radio host                                                   He announced his run in April 
Nikki Haley      Former ambassador to United Nations, former S.C. governor                 She announced her run in February 
Asa Hutchinson   Former Ark. governor                                                      He said in April that he's running 
Kristi Noem      S.D. governor                                                             She has said she hasn't ruled out a presidential run 
Mike Pence       Former vice president                                                     His announcement is expected Wednesday 
Vivek Ramaswamy  Entrepreneur and author known for criticizing ESG investing as "wokeism"  He announced his candidacy in February 
Mike Rogers      Former Mich. congressman                                                  He suggested an announcement on a run may come in "late spring, early summer" 
Tim Scott        U.S. senator for S.C.                                                     He held a kickoff event for his presidential campaign on May 22 
Francis Suarez   Mayor of Miami, Fla.                                                      He tweeted on May 12 that "big decisions" are ahead for him about a possible run 
Chris Sununu     N.H. governor                                                             He said he plans to decide around mid-June 
Donald Trump     Former president                                                          He announced in November that he's running 
Glenn Youngkin   Va. governor                                                              He said he won't campaign to be president this year, but reportedly hasn't made a decision on a run 

The list above features relatively high-profile names, but there are lesser-known GOP presidential hopefuls as well, such as Aaron Day, who is known in part for his 2016 run against former New Hampshire GOP Sen. Kelly Ayotte; Perry Johnson, a former gubernatorial candidate in Michigan; Steve Laffey, a former Cranston, R.I., mayor; and former Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton.

Among the prominent Republicans who have said they're not seeking their party's presidential nomination in 2024 are Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo,

Democrats are closing ranks behind Biden, although author and activist Marianne Williamson said she's seeking the party's nomination again and vigorously defended her decision to challenge the president in an extensive question-and-answer session with MarketWatch. Anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also is mounting a longshot challenge to Biden, having held a kickoff event for his campaign in April.

Now read:Nikki Haley says 'no Republican president will have the ability to ban abortion nationwide'

Also:Biden criticizes DeSantis over his Medicaid stance while in Florida

Plus:Billionaire investor Bill Ackman says JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon should run for president

Robert Schroeder contributed to this article.

-Victor Reklaitis

This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

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06-01-23 1411ET

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