Here are the 10 major Republican candidates who have announced they are running for president. Here is an overview about each one so that you can become politically aware and follow the upcoming election process. Here is a list of the Republicans running.
1. Mike Huckabee
Background: He has previously worked as a Southern Baptist preacher and was governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. His supporters include social conservatives and evangelical Christians. He previously ran against John McCain for the Republican nomination in 2008. After losing the nomination he became a talk show host for the show Huckabee.
Views: He is opposed to abortion in all cases except when the mother's life is at risk. He opposes Obama's health care plan and same-sex marriages. He was behind legislation that made same-sex marriage illegal in Arkansas. He does not support Darwin's theory of evolution and instead believes in intelligent design. He supports stricter border patrols and stricter deportation for illegal immigrants.
2. Ben Carson
Background: He is a former neurosurgeon and retired director of pediatric neurosurgery at John Hopkins Hospital. He was nationally recognized for being the first to successfully separate twins who were conjoined at the head. He also gained praise within the conservative party for his speech during the National Prayer Breakfast. He is author of six bestselling books and believes the country should be in the hands of scientists, engineers and physicians who can make decisions based on data and facts.
Views: He is an extremist and does not believe in evolution. His supporters include grassroot conservatives. He wants to eliminate for-profit insurance companies and remove health care from politics. He opposes same-sex marriage and in the past has compared gays to bestiality. He has also compared the Affordable Care Act to slavery.
3. Carly Fiorina
Background: She is a former business executive at AT&T and chief executive officer at the Hewlett-Packard Company. She was also behind the biggest high-tech merger in history.
Views: She believes in giving citizenship to children of illegal immigrants if they have graduated college or have served in the military. She believes gays should form a civil union, but not a marriage. She is in support of decriminalizing illegal drug and drug use.
4. Marco Rubio
Background: He is a US first-term senator from Florida and a former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. He was born in Florida and his parents were Cuban immigrants who later became US citizens.
Views: He is conservative and has support from the Tea Party movement. He supports limited federal spending and extension of the Patriot Act. He is also an advocate of the DREAM Act within his conservative party. He does not believe that human action has caused climate change. He also opposes Roe vs. Wade and same-sex marriages.
5. Rand Paul
Background: He is a US Senate member and son of US representative Ron Paul. He is also a physician and has his own medical practice. He is also a supporter of the Tea Party Movement.
Views: He is described by many as a libertarian and supports a flat tax rate of 17 percent for individuals and businesses. He opposes abortions, same-sex marriage, and drug legalization. He also blames the Iraq War for the increase in violence over the past years.
6.Ted Cruz
Background: He is a junior US Senator from Texas and is the first Hispanic/Cuban American to serve as a senator from Texas. He is a former associate deputy attorney general for the US Department of Justice and was an advisor to President George W. Bush during his 2000 political campaign.
Views: He is a gun-rights supporter, said that he is between Rand Paul's “basically isolationist" position and John McCain's active interventionism policies. He has criticized John Kerry's policies for being too weak and for being against American values. He believes that global warming is a real but does not believe it is man-made. He is pro-life except when the mother's life is in danger. He opposes the Affordable Health Care Act and believes in focusing on energy policy as one of the main political issues. He is strong supporter of environment conservation and has criticized the Environmental Protection Agency in its increase in regulatory oversight on water use.
7. Chris Christie
Background: He is the 55th Governor of New Jersey and is the US Attorney for New Jersey. He also received a J.D at Seton Hall University School of Law.
Views: He supports decreasing taxes and giving tax credits to parents whose children attend private schools. He advocates decreasing the size of the Environmental Protection Agency if elected. He also supports using alternative methods to produce energy. He enacted the NJ Dream Act, which granted legalization for immigrants who have completed at lease three years at a New Jersey high school and who have graduated. He supports same-sex couples forming civil unions but not participating in marriages. He is opposed to abortions and has vetoed funds for Planned Parenthood five times as governor. He has run into obstacles during his political campaign, including the controversy surrounding the Fort Lee lane closure.
8. Jeb Bush
Background: He served as governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007 and has obtained the most donations compared to any other Republican candidate running for president. He is a fiscal conservative and the brother of George W. Bush. He is also married to a Mexican woman who is a US citizen.
Views: He supports the National Rifle Association and has signed legislation to increase the rights of gun owners. He believes in illegal immigrants gaining citizenship after going through the naturalization process. He advocates for environmental protectionism and signed legislation to restore the Everglades.
9. Scott Walker
Background: He is a former governor of Wisconsin and has been the only governor to win a gubernatorial recall election.
Views: He supports voter ID laws and the National Rifle Association. He opposes abortions, unions, and same-sex marriages. If elected, he would work to decrease the size of government.
10. Rick Santorum
Background: He served in the US House of Representatives from 1991 to 1995 and the Senate from 1995 to 2007.
Views: He is a social and fiscal conservative. He opposes abortion, same-sex marriages, and immigration reform. He also opposes pornography and believes that it causes “profound brain changes" and negative effects on the viewers. He has compared Obamacare to apartheid in South Africa and was accused of being tone-deaf in his response.
