Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd became the latest Republican on Thursday to announce a run for president in 2024. But in an already crowded field that features heavyweights like former President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), there is some skepticism as to how much of an impact Hurd can have on the race.
Hurd says he is running to challenge President Joe Biden, who announced his reelection bid in April. But he made clear in his announcement video that he will carry his reputation as a Trump critic into his presidential run.
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“The soul of our country is under attack. Our enemies plot, create chaos, and threaten the American dream,” he said of Biden’s America. But he then took a page out of DeSantis’s playbook, raising questions about Trump’s electability: “If we nominate a lawless, selfish, failed politician like Donald Trump who lost the House, the Senate, and the White House, we all know Joe Biden will win again.”
The GOP field includes at least 11 other candidates (and counting), reminiscent of the 16 who ran during the 2016 Republican primary. Trump bested his rivals to win the nomination seven years ago, and Republicans worry a crowded field will divide the vote and hand Trump the nomination once again.
So, how does Hurd factor into the presidential field? He’s a long-shot candidate who will need to fundraise and boost his polling numbers quickly to even appear at the first Republican National Committee debate in August.
RNC debate rules require candidates to have a minimum of 40,000 unique donors, with at least 200 apiece in 20-plus states and territories. In addition, 2024 hopefuls must receive at least 1% support in three national polls. Other candidates have struggled to meet these requirements, often pleading with supporters to donate even $1 so they can reach the thresholds.
Hurd will have roughly two months to do so, and it won’t be easy. Hurd has not generally been included in national polling. And his direct and public attacks against Trump are not likely to help him win over a party that still largely stands by the former president.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the most critical candidate of Trump, suffers low polling numbers among GOP primary voters and high unfavorable ratings.
Hurd pointed to his resume in his opening pitch to become the next president of the United States. He’s a former CIA officer who flipped a Democratic seat in Texas in 2014; he then won reelection in 2016 and 2018.
“For the past 20 years, I’ve been on the front lines of the most pressing fights facing our nation. I hunted down terrorists in the Middle East after 9/11,” he said in his video announcement. “In Congress, I fought to lower taxes, secure our border, and provide more opportunities for the middle class.”
But as rivals like DeSantis double down on culture war issues such as gender, sexuality, diversity, and abortion rights, Hurd’s centrist streak may not resonate with primary voters. Even former Vice President Mike Pence, a self-avowed conservative Christian, has been unable to eat into Trump’s commanding lead over the GOP field.
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In 2019, Hurd announced he would not run for office in the upcoming cycle, leaving amid Trump’s controversies as president. While in Congress, Hurd voted against repealing the Affordable Care Act, was receptive to legal status for some immigrants who entered the nation illegally, and did not support Trump’s wishes to build a wall on the southern border. Hurd represented the 23rd Congressional District, which runs along the Texas border with Mexico.
Like other 2024 hopefuls, Hurd wants to make the next election a referendum on Biden while convincing the party it is time to move on from Trump. But with the former president’s growing legal problems dominating the election cycle, it will be even harder for the ex-congressman to raise his profile nationally, gain traction with Republican voters, and fundraise enough money to mount a credible presidential campaign.
