Which candidates remain in the GOP primary?

Doug Burgum has joined the list of candidates leaving the race for the Republican Party presidential nomination. The governor of North Dakota announced the suspension of his campaign through a statement released on the morning of Dec. 4, after failing to meet the requirements to participate in the fourth Republican debate.

“While this primary process has shaken my trust in many media organizations and political party institutions, it has only strengthened my trust in the United States. Our nation does not need to be perfect to be exceptional. In community after community along this journey, we witnessed the best that America has to offer. We are deeply grateful for each and every person who supported us with their ideas, prayers, advocacy, encouragement and enthusiasm,” wrote Gov. Burgum.

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Republican candidates who have abandoned the race

After the departure of the governor, the total number of candidates who have abandoned the race to obtain the Republican Party nomination for the presidential elections has reached seven. The candidates who have dropped out so far, are:

Which candidates remain in the Republican Party primaries?

After Burgum’s withdrawal, the Republican candidates seeking the party nomination are reduced to the following.

Donald Trump

Donald Trump leads the polls, positioning himself as the favorite candidate to represent the Republican Party in the 2024 presidential elections. The former president announced his candidacy a year ago, and has since strengthened his campaign.

Ron DeSantis

The governor of Florida officially announced his candidacy in May of this year. DeSantis started with great popularity among Republican voters, but in recent months his campaign has been losing steam as Trump’s has strengthened. Currently, DeSantis only has about a 10% approval rating among voters, according to Fivethirtyeight.

Nikki Haley

In mid-February 2023, the former governor of South Carolina announced that she would enter the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Among voters, Haley is ranked third most relevant, just below DeSantis.

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Vivek Ramaswamy

The renowned biotechnology executive joined the race in late February. Ramaswamy is known for his tough stance on migration issues. Currently, he has 5.3% approval rating.

Asa Hutchinson

Hutchinson is at the bottom of the list among voters. Due to his low level of popularity, the other candidates have suggested that he abandon the race. However, the former governor of Arkansas has refused to do so since he is against Trump’s possible second term. Hutchinson has a 0.8% rating.

Chris Christie

After being one of Trump’s most faithful followers, Christie ended up distancing himself from the former president due to the controversy of electoral fraud in the 2020 general elections and the assault on the Capitol in 2021. Christie launched his candidacy in June 2023 and has a 2.8% rating among Republican voters.

Ryan Binkley

Binkley serves as president and CEO of Generational Group, as well as being the creator of Create Church, a multi-ethnic church in Texas. While the businessman entered the competition in April 2023, his name barely appears in the surveys.

Trump, the favorite in the polls

The reason why many candidates have abandoned the race for the Republican nomination is due to the notable popularity of Trump, since he stands out as the strongest candidate to represent the Republican Party in the 2024 general elections. According to information from Fivethirtyeight, as of December 4, 2023, Trump leads the polls with a 58.3% approval rating.