2008 Republican Presidential Candidates
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These candidates have filed (or announced plans to file) with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC).
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Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas[4] Mike Huckabee, born August 24, 1955, in Hope, Arkansas, Former Governor of Arkansas.
Huckabee has announced he will seek the Presidency in 2008. He has made several trips to important primary states, including a four-day trip to
New Hampshire in August 2006. He announced that he would be running in 2008 on NBC's Meet the Press Television show with Tim Russert and
has since made an appearance on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
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Senator John McCain, born August 29, 1936, in the US-controlled Panama Canal Zone, Senator from Arizona. Often characterized as a
Republican maverick in the Senate, he is well-known. In 2000, he failed in his attempt to deny George W. Bush the Republican nomination:
McCain continued his ultimately unsuccessful campaign long after the other Republican candidates had united behind Bush.
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Mitt Romney, born March 12, 1947, in Michigan, is former Governor of Massachusetts; he did not seek a second term in November 2006. Romney
has made numerous trips to primary states such as South Carolina, Michigan, and New Hampshire, during recent years. Romney is running on
his record as co-founder of Bain Capital, the CEO of the 2002 Winter Olympics, and his record as Governor of Massachusetts. Although he ran as
a moderate for the office of Governor of Massachusetts and during his failed Senate bid in 1994, he supported more conservative positions as his
term progressed. He is also a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes referred to as the "Mormon" church).
Romney formed a presidential exploratory committee on January 3, 2007, the day he left the governor's office.
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Mitt Romney
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Senator Sam Brownback, born September 12, 1956, in Kansas, senior Senator from that state. In April 2005, the Associated Press reported that
Brownback, who is little known outside his home state, "is using a network of social conservatives and Christian activists to raise his profile" in
such battleground states as Iowa and New Hampshire. He is well known for his pure social and fiscal conservative record, championing such
causes as ending abortion and instituting a flat tax alternative to the current IRS Code. He was also instrumental in Congress' bestowing the
Congressional Medal upon Mother Teresa. In his own words, "The core of my being is to rebuild the family and renew the culture." On December 4,
2006, Brownback announced that he would form an exploratory committee. On January 20, 2007 Brownback officially announced his candidacy. If
elected, he would be the second Roman Catholic, and first Catholic Republican, to occupy the Presidency. Of his campaign, Brownback has said,
"I'm a son of a farmer from Kansas ... I still think anybody can be president. I don't think you have to show up with $100 million to do it. ... "I'm the
tortoise in the race. And I don't like how the race starts; I like how it ends up."
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Jim Gilmore, former Governor of Virginia - A Draft Jim Gilmore for President group was formed in August of 2006, encouraging former Virginia
Governor Jim Gilmore to run for president after he was seen traveling to the presidential primary states. In November 2006, Gilmore told ABC
News that a 2008 presidential run is one of several possibilities he is considering.[4] On December 19, 2006, Gilmore announced he is forming
an exploratory committee for a presidential candidacy.[5] Gilmore announced on December 20, 2006, that he would launch his exploratory
committee on January 2, 2007.[6] Perhaps hoping to mirror the surprising 2004 campaign of Democrat Howard Dean, another former governor
with little national recognition when he entered the race, Gilmore has declared that he represents "the Republican wing of the Republican Party"
echoing the popular Dean quotation. Gilmore declared his candidacy from the Des Moines, Iowa GOP headquarters on April 26, 2007.
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Former Governor of VAJim Gilmore
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Rudy Giuliani, born May 28, 1944, in New York, former mayor of New York City. Giuliani said on October 2, 2005, that he would look at the possibility
of running for President. On November 13, 2006, he announced that he was forming an exploratory committee. He has led several state and
nationwide polls for the Republican nomination and the general election, and has been mentioned by many media sources as a possible
candidate since the 9/11 attacks and a speech to the 2004 Republican Convention.
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Former mayor of NY City Rudy Giuliani
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Representative Duncan Hunter, born May 31, 1948, in Riverside, California, U.S. Representative from that state and former Chairman of the
House Armed Services Committee. Hunter formally announced his presidential candidacy in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on January 25, 2007.
He is known for his strong stance against illegal immigration, support for the U.S. military, and opposition to free trade agreements like North
American Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organization. He introduced H.R. 552, The Right to Life Act, "to implement equal protection .
. . for the right to life of each born and preborn human person"; it has over 100 co-sponsors.
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Representative Duncan Hunter
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Representative Ron Paul, born August 20, 1935, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, long-time U.S. Representative from Texas with a strong
constitutionalist and libertarian voting record. Paul has been nicknamed "Dr. No" for his opposition to tax increases and spending bills. He has
chastened his fellow Republicans for abandoning the party's ideals, and for helping to create an unsustainable national debt now in the trillions of
dollars. Dr. Paul seeks to "reinstate the Constitution and restore the Republic."
On 11 January 2007, Representative Ron Paul filed papers to form an exploratory committee for the 2008 presidential race.
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Representative Tom Tancredo, born December 20, 1945, in Colorado, U.S. Representative from that state and leading advocate for more restrictive immigration
policies. On April 2nd, 2007, Rep. Tancredo announced his official candidacy on Iowa talk radio station 1040 WHO. Tancredo has a dedicated grassroots following
among paleoconservatives. He has visited early Presidential primary states such as New Hampshire, Michigan and Iowa to begin building popular support and has
polled favorably amongst grassroots Republicans. Tancredo announced on January 16, 2007, that he was forming an exploratory committee.
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Tommy Thompson, born November 19, 1941, in Elroy, Wisconsin, is the former four-term Governor of that state and was Secretary of Health and Human Services
under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He recently announced interest in the 2008 nomination and, on December 15, 2006, announced that he had
formed an exploratory committee. He officially announced his candidacy on April 1, 2007.
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