Former Republican Texas Rep. Will Hurd announced Thursday he’s running for president in 2024.
Hurd, a frequent critic of former President Donald Trump, is the first Texan to enter the growing GOP primary field. The former congressman released an announcement video Thursday where he touched on illegal immigration and inflation, and argued that “Americans deserve better.”
“President Biden can’t solve these problems — or won’t,” Hurd said in the video. “And if we nominate a lawless, selfish, failed politician like Donald Trump — who lost the House, the Senate and the White House — we all know Joe Biden will win again.”
Hurd touted his experience in Congress where he served on the House Intelligence Committee, executive business experience working to strengthen cybersecurity and as an undercover CIA officer.
Hurd was first elected to serve the 23rd Congressional District of Texas in 2014 when he unseated Democratic Rep. Pete Gallego by roughly 2 points, and in 2016, Hurd beat Gallego again, but by a narrower margin of 1.3 points, according to Ballotpedia. In 2018, Hurd secured reelection a final time, beating his Democratic opponent 49.2% to 48.7%, and opted not to run again in 2020.
The former congressman is viewed as a moderate per his record in the House, where he voted against repealing Obamacare, championed universal background checks for purchasing firearms and supported protecting the LGBT community’s rights, according to The Texas Tribune.
Hurd called for Trump to withdraw from the 2016 presidential race when the “Access Hollywood” tape from 2005 surfaced, where the former president made remarks about touching women, according to The Texas Tribune. The former congressman also criticized Trump’s border wall, calling it the “most expensive and least effective way” to solve the influx of migrants, as well as naming the former president a “proven loser.”
The former congressman joins a GOP primary field chock-full of Republican heavyweights like the former president, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, conservative radio personality Larry Elder and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
“Common sense says we’re better together,” Hurd said in the video. “There’s more that unites us than divides us, and America needs common sense during these complicated times.”
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