All the Republican and Democrat candidates in the 2024 US election

Despite his mounting legal woes, Donald Trump remains the clear frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

The former president, 77, is hammering all other candidates, with support from over half of the GOP electorate, according to the latest polling.

However, with less than five months to go until primary voting begins in Iowa, there remains a crowded field of Republican candidates running for the White House. 

Here, The Telegraph takes a closer look at the candidates who have announced their bids.

When did he declare? Donald Trump declared his run in November 2022 during a speech at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

“In order to make America great and glorious again, I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States,” Mr Trump told a crowd of his cheering supporters. “Two years ago, we were a great nation, and soon, we will be a great nation again.”

He added: “This is not just a campaign… This is a quest to save our country.”

Where is he polling? Mr Trump remains far ahead of all other candidates in the polls at 51.4 per cent.

Has he started campaigning? Mr Trump has kicked off his 2024 campaign with appearances in the critical early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. 

What are his flagship policies? Framing himself as a Washington outsider once again, Mr Trump is vowing to take on the “corrupt political establishment” by backing proposed restrictions on members of Congress. “Only a non-politician would do that,” he quipped at one campaign event.

Following the 2020 election and his baseless claims of voter fraud, the former president is vowing to implement tough voting restrictions if he comes to power. Illegal immigration, identity culture wars and social media censorship also remain front and centre of his political agenda.

He has vowed to end birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants on his first day in office if elected and said he will push to institute the death penalty for human traffickers carrying people across the border.

What about the indictments? Mr Trump’s mounting legal woes do not appear to have worried prospective voters as he leads competitors by a sizeable margin in the polls. He has been indicted four times and faces 91 criminal charges.

Even if he is convicted and sentenced, the Republic frontrunner has pledged to continue his presidential campaign and take office.

Still, there are pitfalls ahead. Mr Trump could have to reduce his time on the campaign trail to appear in court and perhaps to channel funds away from costly rallies and towards his legal battles.

When did he declare? Florida governor Ron DeSantis launched his campaign in May during a botched Twitter event hosted by Elon Musk that was marred by technical glitches.

Where is he polling? The self–proclaimed “anti-woke” governor was initially considered Mr Trump’s strongest rival, but he lags ever further behind the former president in the polls, currently standing at 14.5 per cent.

Has he started campaigning? Mr DeSantis’s campaign team say they raised $1 million (£810,000) in the first hour after announcing his candidacy. However, he was forced to cut a third of his staff in July as his campaign burned through funds.

What are his flagship policies? Mr DeSantis gained popularity during the pandemic thanks to his anti-lockdown stance and his refusal to shy away from America’s culture wars.

He has an impressive record - a star baseball player at Yale, as well as a graduate of Harvard Law School and a former Navy officer - but it is his anti-establishment approach that has won him a following among the GOP base.

Mr DeSantis has made his anti-abortion and anti-gun control stances clear during his time in power. In Florida he signed into law a controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill which restricts classroom discussion of sexuality and gender identity.

Some fear that he lacks the charisma and star power of Mr Trump. Nevertheless, supporters believe he offers a path to victory for Republicans after his landslide re-election in Florida, a critical presidential swing state, in November. 

What about Trump? The governor has been careful to not make personal attacks against Mr Trump, wary of alienating his large and influential base. 

However, in recent months he appears to have sharpened his rhetoric against the former president, having finally rejected his claims of election rigging in the 2020 election. He maintains a critical stance against state prosecutors for indicting Mr Trump.

When did he declare? Mike Pence, the former US vice president, launched his campaign for the Republican nomination in June.

Where is he polling? Mr Pence has fallen into fifth place at around the four per cent mark.

What are his flagship policies? He represents a more traditionally conservative faction of the GOP, in contrast to the campaigns of Mr Trump and Mr DeSantis.

The former vice president served for more than a decade in Congress and as Indiana’s governor before he was tapped as Mr Trump’s running mate in 2016.

He is one of few candidates in the race that have unequivocally backed a national abortion ban.

He has also said the US should offer more support to Ukraine against Russian aggression, while admonishing “Putin apologists” in the GOP.

What about Trump? Some blame Mr Pence for refuting Mr Trump’s request to overturn the 2020 election result on Jan 6. In reality, as vice president Mr Pence did not have the power to change the results.

The dispute ruptured the two men’s relationship, and Mr Pence has since become a key figure in his boss’ indictment for efforts to overturn the election.

Has he started campaigning? Mr Pence describes himself as “a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order” and his team sees Iowa and its evangelical Christian voters as critical to his potential path to victory. 

He has so far held events in the early voting state, South Carolina and New Hampshire, visiting churches, delivering policy speeches and courting donors.

Advisers say he plans to campaign aggressively in Iowa, hitting every one of its 99 counties before its first-in-the-nation caucuses next year.

When did she declare? Nikki Haley became the first major candidate to formally challenge Mr Trump for the Republican nomination in February, despite previously ruling it out.

Where is she polling? Ms Haley, a former UN ambassador and governor of South Carolina is stalling in the polls at 5.9 per cent. She is also trailing Mr Trump and Mr DeSantis in her home state of South Carolina.

What are her flagship policies? Ms Haley has been vocal about her pledge to crack down on the “Chinese infiltration at our universities”.

She served as a respected member of Mr Trump’s cabinet, known for her defence of his America First policy on the world stage.

However, there is a perception that Ms Haley is failing to cut through as she attempts to occupy a space between the moderate and Right-wing of her party.

Has she started campaigning? Her campaign has held a number of events in the key early states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

What about Trump? Ms Haley has flip-flopped on her support for Mr Trump over the years, most recently calling for a new generation of leadership.

She told Fox News: “So do I think I could be that leader? Yes, but we are still working through things and we’ll figure it out.”

She added: “I’ve never lost a race. I said that then. I still say that now. I’m not going to lose now.”

When did he declare? Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur and venture capitalist, was the third major candidate to enter the race for the Republican nomination in February.

Where is he polling? He is currently polling third behind Mr Trump and Mr DeSantis in the race at 8.7 per cent.

Mr Ramaswamy, 38, saw a boost in popularity following the first Republican primary debate despite being branded an “amateur” and a “rookie” by other candidates.

What are his flagship policies? Launching his bid Mr Ramaswamy said he wanted to create “not only a political campaign but a cultural movement” that would provide a conservative response to America’s culture wars.

Summarising his views during the debate he said: “God is real. There are two genders. Fossil fuels are a requirement for human prosperity. Reverse racism is racism. An open border is not a border. Parents determine the education of their children. The nuclear family is the greatest form of governance known to man. Capitalism lifts us up from poverty.”

Mr Ramaswamy acknowledged his campaign was a long-shot in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, but said idea-driven outsiders could invigorate the country’s political discourse and “create a new American Dream”.

He is a self-made multi-millionaire and author of the book Woke Inc. - which claimed the “woke-industrial complex” was the “defining scam of our century”.

He has previously featured on Forbes’ list of richest entrepreneurs under 40, with a reported net worth of $500 million (£392m).

What about Trump? Mr Ramaswamy is Mr Trump’s strongest defender among the candidates, insisting he will pardon Mr Trump over the dozens of charges he faces.

He told CNN: “The standard I use as our next president is what moves our country forward. 

“What is the right thing for the United States of America? Absolutely the right answer is to move on and I would pardon him.”

When did he declare? Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie declared in June.

Where is he polling? Current polling shows only 3.6 per cent of Republicans see him as their preferred nominee in 2024.

What are his flagship policies? He has long remained vocal in his belief in the need for social security means testing.

The 60-year-old, who ran for president in 2016, crashed out in the early stages of the primary but was seen to have wrecked Florida senator Marco Rubio’s chances as he mocked him as a robotic, Washington politician.

This time around, he has turned his ire on Mr Trump despite once being a member of his inner circle, firing an onslaught of criticism his way over his indictment cases.

What about Trump? Mr Christie is positioning himself as the most vociferously anti-Trump candidate, despite previously being a close adviser to the former president.

He has previously called him a “coward”, “Putin’s puppet”, and a “lonely, self-consumed, self-serving mirror hog”.

He had been a close off-and-on adviser of Mr Trump before breaking with the former president over his refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election.

He recently said in a podcast interview: “I’m not dumb. The way to win is to beat the guy who’s ahead. And so what would a campaign look like? A campaign would look like a direct frontal challenge to Donald Trump trying to return to the presidency.”

When did he declare? Asa Hutchinson, a former governor of the southern US state of Arkansas, announced his candidacy in April, saying that Mr Trump should quit the race to deal with his legal challenges.

Where is he polling? He has struggled to cut through the noise, with average polling showing he is some way below the one per cent mark.

What are his flagship policies? Making his own case, Mr Hutchinson vowed to focus on issues including border security, the economy and US leadership.

“I want to provide an alternative”, the 72-year-old conservative, who is also a former member of Congress, said as he announced his bid.

Mr Hutchinson was Arkansas governor from 2015 to 2023. In 2021, he signed a law outlawing abortion in every case except to save the life of the mother. 

What about Trump? After Mr Trump’s latest indictment, he doubled down on criticism: “Trump has lost it. This threatens our democracy, our rule of law and says clearly that he will weaponise the Justice Department if he is elected. America needs leadership with a spirit of grace.”

However, there is little sign that an anti-Trump stance is paying off. Mr Hutchinson was recently booed by a crowd chanting “Trump, Trump, Trump.”

When did he declare? Tim Scott, a senator for South Carolina, declared America is “not the land of oppression” as he launched his 2024 bid in May, praising the country’s strides on racism. 

Where is he polling? National polling puts him at around 2.9 per cent, but he is running a close third to Mr DeSantis in the key early states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

What are his flagship policies? The 57-year-old has invoked his Christian faith and championed religious liberties, tough action on border security and fiscal responsibility - all red meat for the conservative base.

Launching his bid, he told the crowd in his hometown of North Charleston, South Carolina: “My family went from cotton to Congress” in one lifetime.

He rose from a poverty-stricken childhood in South Carolina to become the only black Republican currently in the US Senate.

Mr Scott’s supporters say he is the strongest candidate to unite the pro-Trump and Trump-weary factions of his party.

Has he started campaigning? The senator has a strong campaign infrastructure in several key states after laying the groundwork for his bid with a listening tour earlier this year.

He is one of the Republican Party’s top fundraisers, and comfortably won re-election to the Senate last November with more than $20 million (£15.8 million) left over in his war chest.

In September, his candidacy is planning a $40 million (£31.6 million) ad campaign that will run in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and potentially Nevada.

What about Trump? He has a strong conservative record, but has been willing to criticise the former president on occasion.

When did he declare? Doug Burgum, the Republican governor of North Dakota, made a splash with his launch video in June. 

Where is he polling? As one of the outlier candidates, Mr Burgum is polling at 0.7 per cent.

What are his flagship policies? The chimney sweep-turned-software billionaire launched an unlikely bid, declaring that in his state, “woke” is “what you did at 5am to start the day”.

Mr Burgum, 67, is painting himself as the candidate of “small-town America” and its values. 

In June he said that while he backed a strict abortion ban in his own state, he would not support a similar, nationwide law if he is elected to the White House.

Has he started campaigning? Launching his campaign in Fargo, near his home city of Arthur, Mr Burgum said the next US president should be “someone who’s held jobs where you shower at the end of the day, not at the beginning”.

Of $11.7 million (£9.2 million) raised by his campaign leading up to the end of the quarter on June 30, more than $10 million (£7.9 million) was provided by a loan from Mr Burgum himself.

What about Trump? He has largely steered clear of confronting Mr Trump, but acknowledged that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election.

Mr Burgum was elected governor in 2016 and re-elected in a landslide in 2020. He is not widely known outside North Dakota, and with polling at 0.3 per cent is considered a long shot.

When did he declare? Will Hurd, a former CIA spy and former Texas congressman, declared his run in June. 

Where is he polling? He is tied with Mr Suarez in the polls at around 0.1 per cent.

What are his flagship policies? Mr Hurd, 45, signposted his concerns on illegal immigration and inflation in his campaign announcement video.

He has called himself a “dark horse candidate” and said that the only way to win is to “not be afraid of Donald Trump”. He is hoping to build momentum as a more moderate alternative to the former president.

The one-time CIA agent called the Republican frontrunner a “failed politician” who lost the GOP “the House, the Senate, and the White House.”

He has attacked the GOP’s struggle to attract college educated middle class women, Black and brown communities and people under the age of 35.

Has he started campaigning? Mr Hurd has made a number of media appearances on CNN, CBS and Fox News.

What about Turmp? He is a vocal critic of the former president’s track record, calling him a “proven loser”.

He was booed at the Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa, after claiming the former president was running to stay “out of jail”. 

When did he declare? Larry Elder declared he was running for president in April.

Where is he polling? Mr Elder has yet to make any significant dent in nationwide polls.

What are his flagship policies? Mr Elder said he wanted to “give back” after deciding not to serve in the military like his father and brother.

“I’m the only one who didn’t serve, and I don’t feel good about that. I feel I have a moral, religious and patriotic duty to give back to a country that’s been so good to me and my family,” he told Fox.

His platform includes capping spending at 10 per cent of US gross domestic product nationwide, regulating abortion laws at the state level and other conservative positions.

A Los Angeles Republican, he has never held elected office and calls himself “the sage from South Central”. He earned a living as a lawyer before becoming a talk show host, and received a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2015.

His campaign website reads: “America is in decline, but this decline is not inevitable. We can enter a new American Golden Age, but we must choose a leader who can bring us there”.

What about Trump? Mr Elder has in the past been a supporter of Mr Trump but has since said he is “not sure” Mr Trump is electable, especially to suburban women. 

When did he declare? Perry Johnson, a Republican businessman, announced his bid in March.

Where is he polling? Mr Johnson is also yet to make any significant dent in nationwide polls.

What are his flagship policies? The millionaire has been touting his plan to cut federal spending by two per cent every year during his campaign.

He ran for Michigan governor in 2022 and was considered a top candidate before he and four other Republican hopefuls were disqualified because of invalid signatures.

Has he started campaigning? Mr Johnson has been targeting Iowa voters with ads, notably running a TV advert during the Super Bowl earlier this year.

What about Trump? Mr Johnson states on his website that he “proudly supported President Trump in 2016 and 2020 and could very easily support him in 2024.”

However he also states he believes that “politicians of both political parties have failed to provide adequate solutions” to inflation.

When did he declare? The incumbent president announced in April that he would be running for re-election and that he would be keeping his current vice president, Kamala Harris, as his running mate.

Mr Biden is the oldest president in history, and would be 86 at the end of a second term.

Where is he polling? The 46th president, as the incumbent, is virtually assured the Democratic nomination. He is polling at 64.8 per cent among his party’s voters.

What are his flagship policies? Mr Biden says he is battling “for the soul of America” and signalled his campaign would seek to block illiberal moves by “Maga extremists”.

In a recent campaign video he highlighted the issue of abortion, claiming that state politicians were “dictating what health care decisions women can make”. He has previously pledged to veto any national abortion ban.

The US Supreme Court overturned abortion rights last year, and Republican strategists fear the reinvigorated issue will drive Democratic turnout at the polls.

Mr Biden has also touted his leadership on the economy, saying “Bidenomonics” has meant “the poor have a ladder up and the wealthy still do well”.

Inflation has dipped to around the three per cent mark, although around six in 10 Americans disapprove of his economic performance.

Earlier this year, he pledged to block any cuts to Medicare health coverage or social security, and said Republicans “dream” of gutting federal programmes.

He has also signalled he would stand against attempts to restrict voting rights, amid moves by states to tighten laws on voter ID and postal voting.

Has he started campaigning? Strategists suggest Mr Biden intends to stay above the fray of a presidential campaign for as long as possible - instead using the power of his office to demonstrate his leadership. 

However, party figures are nervous about how the 78-year-old incumbent can perform under the spotlight.

When did he declare? Robert F Kennedy Jr is a lawyer, author and prominent conspiracy theorist, mounted a surprise challenge to Mr Biden in March. 

As the son of Robert F Kennedy and nephew of John F Kennedy, he comes from one of America’s most famous political dynasties. However, he has never held elected office and is widely considered a fringe candidate.

Where is he polling? The 69-year-old is considered a long shot bid. Recent polling shows his support is in the double digits - high enough to be embarrassing for Mr Biden - but too low to pose a real threat. 

What are his flagship policies? Mr Kennedy is perhaps best known for his vocal scepticism about vaccines but previously held a reputation as a staunch environmentalist lawyer.

He has previously been suspended from social media for promoting conspiracy theories, and provoked outrage for suggesting Covid-19 was “ethnically targeted” to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people. Mr Kennedy later said: “I haven’t said an anti-Semitic word in my life.” 

In his pitch for the presidency, he takes aim at a “corrupt merger between state and corporate power” that has “poisoned our children” and “polluted our landscapes and waters”. 

He has been vocal about his opposition to the United States’ role in the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and has harkened back to the 1960s in his vision to restore middle-class prosperity.

Has he started campaigning? At the Iowa state fair in Des Moines in August Mr Kennedy Jr drew a large crowd of supporters.

His campaign is being boosted in large part by GOP megadonor Timothy Mellon, according to NBC news. Mr Kennedy Jr has participated in a number of televised media appearances, including being interviewed by Tucker Carlson.

When did she declare? Self-help author Marianne Williamson was the first Democrat to challenge Mr Biden in March. 

Where is she polling? She is not currently polling high enough to register as a challenger to Mr Biden in FiveThirtyEight’s polling aggregator but has hit double-digits in some polls.

What are her flagship policies? Ms Williamson hit out at “elites” who do not understand “ordinary Americans”.

She is anti-corportate, pro-universal healthcare coverage and pro-choice. She is also backing a full scale climate emergency mobilisation effort to tackle global warming.

She has accused Mr Biden of “spitting in the face of democracy” by attempting to shift the South Carolina vote to the start of the primary season. The southeastern state rescued his flagging candidacy in 2020.

She has never held elected office, having run unsuccessfully for Congress in 2014 before taking a tilt at the Democratic nomination in 2020.

Ms Williamson eventually dropped out of the race a few weeks before the Iowa caucus took place, endorsing the left-wing senator Bernie Sanders.

Has she started campaigning? Ms Williamson announced her candidacy to six hundred people at Union Station in Washington, DC. 

She made a number of in-person appearances in a variety of different states throughout August but is yet to cause much of a stir in the race.

When did he declare? Cornel West, the progressive philosopher and Ivy League academic, announced a third party bid in June. He initially made his bid for the small, leftist People’s Party, but within days he switched his affiliation to the Green Party.

Where is he polling? Mr West’s campaign is too small to register in most national polling, but analysis by FiveThirtyEight suggests he could act as a “spoiler” candidate for Mr Biden by drawing votes away from the Democrats.

What are his flagship policies? The 70-year-old academic launched his presidential bid with a vow to run “for truth and justice”, arguing he offers an appealing alternative to the two major parties’ leading candidates.

He has denounced Donald Trump as a “neo-fascist” and Joe Biden a “milquetoast neoliberal”.

A talented communicator, the philosophy professor has taught at Yale, Princeton and Harvard universities. He prides himself on being one of America’s “most provocative public intellectuals”.

After championing Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, he became disillusioned and labelled him a “Rockefeller Republican in blackface”.

He campaigned for Bernie Sanders in 2020 before begrudgingly backing Mr Biden, saying he was “better than fascism”.

But he has since called for an alternative to a Biden-Trump rematch, claiming “neither political party wants to tell the truth” about Wall Street, Ukraine, or Big Tech.

Has he started campaigning? Mr West lacks the infrastructure or funding to carry out a traditional campaign but he is a prominent media personality with a huge national profile. 

He is a regular face on a number of TV programmes. 

Candidates who have  withdrawn their bid

When did he drop out? Francies Suarez became the first candidate to withdraw from the republican race on August 29 after announcing a bid just a day after Mr Trump appeared in court on federal charges in June.

What were his flagship policies? The 45-year-old is the president of the US Conference of Mayors and is the son of Miami’s first Cuban-born mayor.

Mr Suarez has gained national attention in recent years for his efforts to turn Miami into an economic powerhouse and become the next Silicon Valley.

Mr Suarez, who is married with two young children, is a corporate and real estate attorney who previously served as a city of Miami commissioner. He has positioned himself as someone who can help the GOP connect with the Hispanic community.

He is more moderate than Mr DeSantis and Mr Trump, but has threaded the needle carefully on cultural issues that have become popular among Republicans.

Previously dubbed the “crypto candidate”, Mr Suarez accepted campaign donations for his 2024 bid in cryptocurrency.

What about Trump? Trump advisers previously praised Mr Suarez’s work and helped him promote what he calls “the Miami success story”.

Kellyanne Conway, Mr Trump’s former campaign manager and White House adviser, even floated Mr Suarez’s name as a possible vice presidential pick.

This article is kept up to date with the latest information. Polling taken from FiveThirtyEight.