Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announces GOP presidential campaign

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez (R) formally announced Thursday he is running for president in 2024. 

“I’m going to run for president,” Suarez says in a video posted online. “I’m going to run for your children and mine. Let’s give them the future they deserve. It’s time to take things into our own hands. It’s time to get things started.” 

“America’s so-called leaders confuse being loud with actually leading,” he added. “All Washington wants to do is fight with each other instead of fighting for the people that put them in office.” 

The video was published less than a day after Suarez filed to run for president with the Federal Election Commission. On Wednesday, SOS America, a pro-Suarez super PAC, launched a six-figure digital ad buy in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.

Suarez is the third Florida resident to join the growing Republican primary, joining former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has trailed in second place in most polling. He is also the first Hispanic candidate to jump into the GOP field this cycle, representing a critical constituency for the party.

But the Miami mayor faces an uphill climb to the nomination, given the current state of the polls and his relatively low national name recognition.

In order to qualify for the first Republican debate in August, Suarez will need to poll at a minimum of 1 percent in three national polls and garner a minimum of 40,000 unique donors, and at least 200 unique donors from 20 or more states and territories.