Last week, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) stated his intentions to seek the presidency. Originally elected Mayor of Burlington on the Socialist Workers Party ticket, Mr. Sanders has served in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate as an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats. Now, he has officially entered the Democratic nomination process for president. Sanders is a long shot at best, but could find himself as Hillary Clinton’s top opponent should former Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) not catch fire. In interviews, the Senator acknowledges his uphill task of securing the nomination as he’ll be competing against Ms. Clinton, who is expected to raise $2 billion and have the support of several super PACs.
On the Republican side, the presidential field expanded by three this week, as former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, retired Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson, and former Arkansas Governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee officially announced their candidacies.
Ms. Fiorina, the only woman in the Republican field, is already positioning herself against Hillary Clinton to offer a stark comparison about the direction each woman would lead the county should one of them be elected. Obviously, the outlook for both is much different beyond ideology and political philosophy. While former Secretary of State, Senator, and First Lady Clinton looks to be positioned to capture the Democratic nomination, Ms. Fiorina, an unsuccessful California U.S. Senate candidate, is among the longest of shots on the Republican side.
Dr. Carson, a renowned medical practitioner, came into the political realm with a 2013 National Prayer Breakfast speech, with President Obama sitting only a few seats away, critical of the current state of American culture that attracted great attention around the country. Dr. Carson has been on the speaking and writing circuit ever since, during which time, he too has committed several gaffes most recently on foreign policy matters.
Former Gov. Huckabee, who announced in his hometown of Hope, Arkansas, will hope to build upon his semi-successful 2008 presidential effort that saw him win the important Iowa Caucus and six other states (AL, AR, GA, TN, and WV) on his way to capturing the overall second position in terms of delegates won. He would fall to eventual GOP nominee John McCain, but outpaced future Republican presidential nominee (2012) Mitt Romney. Mr. Huckabee, who subsequently hosted his own Fox News television program, did not seek the Presidency in 2012.
One of the reasons the first four nomination states, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina, are chosen is so candidates who may not attract a large amount of money are competitive. Particularly in Iowa and New Hampshire, candidates can still reach a receptive electorate through grassroots campaigning.
For more information, please contact David Ashinoff at ashinoffd@agc.org or (202) 547-5013. Return to Top