Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026

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Republicans are taking this 'anybody can be president' cliché too literally

By Hayes Brown

Pop quiz: How many people are running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024? I'll give you a second to count on your fingers. Hint: You'll have to count some fingers twice.

Time’s up: With Thursday's announcement from former Rep. Will Hurd of Texas there are now 13 — yes, a baker's dozen — candidates who have officially announced that they want to represent the GOP on the ballot against President Joe Biden next year. (For the record, I only got to 10, including Hurd.)

It's a well-worn cliché that in America, anybody can grow up to be president. It's never quite been true: The vast majority of men who've ascended to the presidency either came from wealth or had other structural advantages to boost their chances. But in the last several campaign cycles, we've seen the field of candidates expand as more and more would-be nominees shoot their shots. Seventeen Republicans vied for the White House in 2016; an incredible 29 tried to win the Democratic nomination in 2020.

This is a preview of  Hayes Brown's latest article. Read the full column here.

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