Who's Running in 2024? - Updated

In my last post, on November 14 of last year, I included a list from the Washington Post of the "top 10 individuals most likely to be the Republican nominee" for president in 2024. At the time, Ron DeSantis was in the top spot:  

1. Ron DeSantis
2. Donald Trump
3. Mike Pence
4. Glenn Youngkin (Governor of Virginia)
5. Tim Scott
6. Kari Lake (former news anchor running for Governor of Arizona)
7. Ted Cruz
8. Nikki Haley
9. Mike Pompeo
10. Rick Scott

The Post updates their list periodically; here's how the race looks to them now, in a list published yesterday: 

1. Donald Trump
2. Ron DeSantis
3. Tim Scott
4. Mike Pence
5. Nikki Haley
6. Glenn Youngkin
7. Mike Pompeo
8. Chris Sununu
9. Kristi Noem
10. Vivek Ramaswamy

The list is in "order of likeliness to be nominated, which takes into account both how likely they are to run - or that they're already running - and their formidability if they do." Others considered to be worth mentioning are Asa Hutchinson (former governor of Arkansas,) John Bolton (former White House national security adviser,) Liz Cheney (former congresswoman from Wyoming,) Greg Abbott (governor of Texas) and Will Hurd (former congressman from Texas.) Numbers 1, 5, and 10 from the list above are now declared candidates: 

I'm Running (and the date they declared their candidacy)

1. Donald Trump (November 15, 2022)
2. Nikki Haley (February 14, 2023)
3. Vivek Ramaswamy (February 21, 2023) By the way, who is this guy? Politico describes him as a "multi-millionaire biotech entrepreneur and self-described intellectual godfather of the anti-woke movement." Okay.  

I'm Not Running (potential candidates who have definitively ruled themselves out, at least for 2024)

1. Senator Tom Cotton
2. Senator Josh Hawley
3. Former Governor Larry Hogan

Things can only heat up from here, stay tuned for more.   

Days until Election Day: 590

Note: The Republican National Convention will take place July 15-18, 2024, in Milwaukee. The three finalist cities for the Democratic convention are Atlanta, Chicago and New York City; the dates have not yet been announced. 

And one more thing: In that November 18 post, I also included an "I'm Thinking About Running" list, which looked like this: 

I'm Thinking About Running: 

1. Governor Greg Abbott, Texas
2. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, Texas 
3. Senator Ted Cruz, Texas 
4. Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida
5. Governor Doug Ducey, Arizona
6. Richard Grenell, former ambassador to Germany and former acting director of national intelligence
7. Nikki Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina governor 
8. Senator Josh Hawley, Missouri
9. Governor Larry Hogan, Maryland 
10. Mark Meadows, White House chief of staff and former North Carolina representative 
11. Governor Kristi L. Noem, South Dakota
12. Robert C. O’Brien, national security advisor 
13. Vice President Mike Pence
14. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
15. Senator Mitt Romney, Utah, 2012 Republican nominee for president
16. Senator Marco Rubio, Florida 
17. Senator Ben Sasse, Nebraska 
18. Senator Rick Scott, Florida
19. Senator Tim Scott. South Carolina 
20. Senator Patrick J. Toomey, Pennsylvania
21. Donald Trump

If we tweak this list a bit, i.e., Donald and Nikki Haley are on the I'm Running list, Senator Hawley and Governor Hogan are on the I'm Not Running list, and adding Wapo's "worth mentioning" names (Asa Hutchinson, John Bolton, Liz Cheney and Will Hurd) the I'm Thinking About Running list looks like this: 

1. Governor Greg Abbott, Texas
2. John Bolton, former White House National Security Adviser
3. Liz Cheney, former congresswoman from Wyoming
4. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, Texas 
5. Senator Ted Cruz, Texas 
6. Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida
7. Governor Doug Ducey, Arizona
8. Richard Grenell, former ambassador to Germany and former acting director of national intelligence
9. Will Hurdm former congressman from Texas
10. Asa Hutchinson, former governor of Arkansas
11. Mark Meadows, White House chief of staff and former North Carolina representative 
12. Governor Kristi L. Noem, South Dakota
13. Robert C. O’Brien, national security advisor 
14. Vice President Mike Pence
15. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
16. Senator Mitt Romney, Utah, 2012 Republican nominee for president
17. Senator Marco Rubio, Florida 
18. Senator Ben Sasse, Nebraska 
19. Senator Rick Scott, Florida
20. Senator Tim Scott. South Carolina 
21. Senator Patrick J. Toomey, Pennsylvania

As people declare themselves to be running or not running I'll update the lists. 

Update on March 27: I never had Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on my "Thinking About Running" list, but apparently he was considering it. A couple of days ago, however, he announced that he won't be running this time around. I've updated the "I'm Not Running" list:

I'm Not Running (potential candidates who have definitively ruled themselves out, at least for 2024)

1. Senator Tom Cotton
2. Senator Josh Hawley
3. Former Governor Larry Hogan
4. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp

Days until Election Day: 589

Update #2 on March 29: I haven't seen Chris Christie's name mentioned as a potential candidate in 2024, but according to the Washington Post he's considering it: 

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie sharply criticized Donald Trump on Monday during his first trip this year to New Hampshire, as he kept the door open to entering the GOP presidential primary against his former ally and signaled he would decide by June.

In a nearly two-hour town hall at St. Anselm College's New Hampshire Institute of Politics, Christie said Trump's name more than 20 times, attacking the former president over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election that he lost, mocking his policy acumen and blaming him for Republican losses in the 2022 midterms. Christie also portrayed himself as uniquely well positioned to take on Trump.

"You know, Donald Trump said a couple of weeks ago, 'I am your retribution.' Guess what, everybody? No thanks. No thanks," Christie said to applause from his audience in an early-nominating state. "If I was going to pay somebody to be my retribution, I guarantee this, it wouldn't be him."

Christie, who has been publicly critical of Trump as he weighs a White House bid, continued, "Here's why it wouldn't be him, because he doesn't want to be my retribution. That's baloney. The only person he cares about is him. And if we haven't learned that since Election Day of 2020 to today, then we are not paying attention."

I've updated the "I'm Thinking About Running" list: 

1. Governor Greg Abbott, Texas
2. John Bolton, former White House National Security Adviser
3. Liz Cheney, former congresswoman from Wyoming
4. Chris Christie, former governor of New Jersey, was a candidate in 2016
5. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, Texas 
6. Senator Ted Cruz, Texas 
7. Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida
8. Governor Doug Ducey, Arizona
9. Richard Grenell, former ambassador to Germany and former acting director of national intelligence
10. Will Hurd, former congressman from Texas
11. Asa Hutchinson, former governor of Arkansas
12. Mark Meadows, White House chief of staff and former North Carolina representative 
13. Governor Kristi L. Noem, South Dakota
14. Robert C. O’Brien, national security advisor 
15. Vice President Mike Pence
16. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
17. Senator Mitt Romney, Utah, 2012 Republican nominee for president
18. Senator Marco Rubio, Florida 
19. Senator Ben Sasse, Nebraska 
20. Senator Rick Scott, Florida
21. Senator Tim Scott. South Carolina 
22. Senator Patrick J. Toomey, Pennsylvania

Days until Election Day: 587