Former GOP Rep. Will Hurd launches 2024 presidential bid

Former Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) on Thursday became the latest Republican to throw their hat in the ring for the 2024 GOP race for president. 

Hurd made the announcement during an appearance on “CBS Mornings,” joining what has become a crowded field of GOP candidates, including former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Hurd said during the appearance that he has formally filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for the Republican nomination.

“This is a decision that my wife and I decided to do because we live in complicated times and we need common sense,” he added. “There are a number of generational-defining challenges that we’re faced with in the United States of America.”

Hurd spent six years in the House as a more moderate member of the Republican Conference and has often been a critic of Trump.

Hurd said on CBS that the country should be focused on issues such as China trying to surpass the U.S. as the global superpower, continued inflation, the growth of technologies such as artificial intelligence, as well as falling math, science and reading scores among students.

“And to be honest, I’m pissed that we’re not talking about these things. I’m pissed that our elected officials are telling us to hate our neighbors,” he said. “Our neighbors are not our enemies. They’re our fellow Americans who we just happen to have a disagreement with.”

An online page Hurd set up for supporters states they will get “rational takes” on current events, “unique perspectives” on world events affecting the U.S. and insights on technology without “partisan namecalling.”

Hurd said in a video posted on Twitter that the “soul” of the country is under attack. He said President Biden either cannot or will not solve the problems facing the country, including inflation and crime, and that renominating Trump will hand the election to Biden.

Hurd repeatedly called for common sense answers to the country’s problems and for people to come together, but he is likely a long shot for the GOP nomination — with relatively low name recognition, he is expected to have low level of support at his campaign outset. Trump holds a wide lead in recent polling with DeSantis in second place and other candidates in the Republican field trailing in support.

Hurd has not been included in many polls of potential Republican candidates for the nomination.

“We can do this. It’s hard. But here’s what I’ve learned: If we remember two things, we can pull this off,” Hurd said on CBS. “America is better together, and way more unites us than divides us.”

Updated at 8:53 a.m. EDT.