First Suarez, now Hurd. Which Republican presidential candidate will be next to suspend their 2024 White House campaign?
The race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination is currently underway. The criteria for eligibility in the upcoming GOP presidential debate is getting tougher, with key fundraising reports from campaigns expected in the coming days and filing deadlines for the first two primaries still putting pressure on Republican candidates at large. the house
Facing a challenging path to the Republican nomination, former Rep. Will Hurd officially ended his campaign on Monday. In a statement, the former CIA operative turned three-term congressman from Texas said, “It is clear to me and my team that the time has come to call off our campaign.”
Will Hurd, who did not qualify to participate in the first two GOP nomination debates, is the second Republican presidential candidate to drop out of the race. Back in August, Mayor Francis Suarez of Miami, Florida also dropped out of the race after failing to meet the requirements for the first debate.
All eyes are now on two other long-shot contenders who, like Hurd, failed to meet the criteria for the first two debates. These candidates are Larry Elder and Perry Johnson.
Larry Elder, a former nationally syndicated radio host and candidate in the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election, decided not to travel to Concord, New Hampshire this week to file the necessary paperwork to appear on the ballot. – National Primary.
Elder is also no longer on the New Hampshire GOP’s schedule to speak Friday at the First in the Nation Leadership Summit; This event is a major Republican presidential gathering in the state, which hosts the second overall contest in the GOP nominating calendar.
However, Elder’s campaign manager told US Newzs Digital that “he’s still in.”
When asked by US Newzs if he’s still a White House contender, Elder responded, “Yes, I am still a candidate for president.” He mentioned that “clearly, the way the RNC [Republican National Committee] shafted me; by preventing me from participating in the first debate despite my meeting their criteria; has hurt my campaign.”
Elder pledged to “remain committed to campaigning on several issues.”
Johnson, a business leader and quality control industry expert, is now considering a potential switch to running for an open Senate seat in his home state of Michigan.
“Obviously, I’ve had a lot of calls to run for this seat because they want to win this seat. But at this point, my focus is completely on the presidential [race], and believe me, that’s going to consume my time and energy,” Johnson said earlier this month. told US Newzs Digital.
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, the only candidate among eight candidates on the first debate stage in August who failed to qualify for a second showdown last month, is currently resuming his campaign efforts in New Hampshire this week.
His campaign told US Newzs that he plans to file Wednesday morning to put his name on the state’s presidential primary ballot.
Hutchinson has indicated that he would consider dropping out of the race if he fails to qualify for a third GOP presidential nomination debate.
“If I don’t do it, we will re-evaluate where we are,” Hutchinson told reporters two weeks ago, referring to a third debate scheduled for Nov. 8 in Miami, Florida.
Asked for clarification on whether this meant he would consider quitting, Hutchinson responded, “Absolutely.”
In addition to the increasing debate thresholds set by the RNC, candidates also face looming filing deadlines. They must file by Oct. 27 to have their names on the ballot in New Hampshire and face an Oct. 31 deadline in South Carolina, which will host the fourth contest and serve as the first southern primary on the GOP nominating calendar.
Further, candidates will have to submit their fundraising figures for the July-September third quarter to the Federal Election Commission by October 15.
For some candidates already jostling for a spot on the debate stage, the low fundraising report could spell the end of their campaigns.
“The third quarter report is important for all campaigns, but certainly for those currently struggling to gain visibility and leverage. This report represents the last financial indicator we’ll get until we get very close to the Iowa caucuses and the 2018-2018 New Hampshire primary.” Jim Merrill, a longtime Republican consultant based in New Hampshire, said in a statement to US Newzs.
Merrill, an experienced figure in numerous GOP presidential campaigns, emphasized that “whether it’s about securing a spot on the next debate stage or demonstrating grassroots momentum for the campaign, it’s of paramount importance for these candidates to showcase both a healthy cash reserve and mounting grassroots support on a national scale.”
Alex Castellanos, a seasoned GOP strategist with decades of experience, echoed this sentiment, anticipating that certain candidates will “soon run out of momentum as they attempt to reach the next debate in Miami.”